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BA’s Best Sugar Cookies

4.2(375)

This easy recipe for perfect sugar cookies yields the cutouts of your dreams with a delicious canvas to decorate and are a worthy addition to your Christmas cookie plate.

by Alison Roman·published 2013-11-05

Open original recipe

Servings

(2–3)

Total time

2h 40m

Calories / serving

—

Ingredients (9)

serves

¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher saltsalt
½ tsp. baking powderbaking-powder
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rollingflour
1¼ cups (2½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch piecesbutter
1 cup (200 g) sugarsugar
1 large eggegg
1 large egg yolkegg
1 tsp. vanilla extractvanilla-extract
Colored sanding sugar or Easy Sugar Cookie Icing, for decorating

Instructions (4 steps)

01Whisk ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. baking powder, and 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour in a small bowl to combine. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed, beat 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and 1 cup (200 g) sugar in a large bowl until well combined (butter does not need to be fluffy), about 3 minutes. Add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract; beat just to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients; mix just to combine. Form sugar cookie dough into two ¾"-thick disks; cover each in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours.
02Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 325°. Let 1 disk of dough sit at room temperature until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper until about ¼" thick, dusting with flour as needed (if dough gets soft or sticky, chill on parchment until firm). Cut out shapes with floured cookie cutters; transfer cut-out sugar cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets.