My 5 stars are based on a few changes recommended by LaurelC43: extra tsp of vanilla, 1 cup of powdered sugar added to flour, 1/2 cup more flour. And 4js1H who recommended rolling out cookies, putting them in the freezer for a few minutes and then you can stack them for baking later. Then baking them straight from the freezer. VERY GOOD! The cookies were very tasty, sturdy and kept their shape beautifully. I did try another members idea of reducing the flour and eggs instead, and that batch was a dud. They puffed up and the shape was lost. They also weren't sturdy. That batch won't be given as gifts.
SUPER YUMMY!! Nice and tender, not dry at all. I followed the suggestion of using PARCHMENT PAPER and it was AWESOME! I rolled it out and cut, then peeled away the inbetween leftovers, put paper with cookies on the baking sheet, and after baking, just slid the paper off the sheet onto the counter to cool. Baking sheet is clean, and the cookies are 100% perfect! I usually get too much flour mixed in which makes a tough cookie, plus the shapes get deformed when I have to scrape them off the counter anyway, plus bottoms getting too brown. Parchment made them totally even colored. Do it!!
These turned out great! Perfect taste & texture. No cracking. I kept the recipe the same except I doubled the vanilla. I thought about doubling the whole recipe and I'm glad I didn't - I thought it made a lot. I made circle coookies (to decorate like baseballs) that were slightly larger than 3". 1 recipe made 35 cookies. A few tips: Lightly grease the sheet w/ spray (I used Baker's Joy spray which has flour added)- recipe says ungreased but that made it really hard to remove; As suggested by another I used powdered sugar on the board & a little on top of the dough before I rolled it - worked awesome - no sticking; After being refrigerated for about 6 hours the dough was really hard - let it sit out for about 20 minutes before you start to roll then it will be perfect to work with; Bake until edges are barely starting to brown; remove from cookie sheet right away to cool on rack or counter.
Made this recipe on the advice of everyone else ... as other people suggested, I added another cup of sugar and an additional tsp. of vanilla ... I believe without this, they would have been more bland ... found the cookeis stuck to the bottom of the cookie sheet and actually had a few cookies break ... solved that problem by putting parchment paper on the cookie sheet for the second batch, and they came off easily with no breaking ... my kids and husband loved the end result ... not sure if I will make them again, because from start to finish, including the icing, it took me approx. 4 hours to make 60 cookies ... recipe was good just more time consuming than I like
I used this recipe for my Xmas sugar cookies and they turned out so pretty and yummy.Thanks!
After several disappointing attempts with different recipes, I think I've found a winner! I followed suggestions from others who've tried this recipe, and added a cup of powdered sugar, one more teaspoon of vanilla and rolled out the cookies on parchment paper using powdered sugar instead of flour. These cookies were AMAZING! They held their shape well, and took only six minutes to bake six jumbo cookies per sheet. I definitely recommend refrigerating the dough until it's firm, and working in small batches while keeping the dough refrigerated. After my cookies were finished I dipped them in white and dark chocolate, although I really think they can stand on their own without decoration at all. I will make these again for sure!
These are the "best" cut-outs I've ever made. I don't usually like cut-outs. But this dough was very smooth and as soon as you worked it a bit and had a floured surface, they rolled out beautifully. My husband doesn't care for frosting, but for Valentine's and Christmas, I have to get creative. They taste great too. I put in 1 1/2 tsp of almond extract instead of vanilla. Good job, J. Saunders!
Easiest recipe ever! Used 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 ts of vanilla extract after reading a lot of the reviews. It created a mildly sweet sugar cookie, not to overwhelmingly which is good because I plan on frosting them with a sugar cookie icing. I did let the dough set in the fridge overnight and kneaded it softly for a few minutes before I rolled it out the following day. Cook on two middle racks for 8-9 minutes for 1/2 inch thick cookies and 7 minutes for 1/4 inch thick cookies. Lay parchment paper on baking sheet for easy removal from pan and do this asap as they come out of the oven!! Rotate pan 180° halfway thru bake time if you can. This recipe created 98 cookies total, when rolled 1/4 inch thick. Good luck!!
I have my own recipe but its about the same. However a tip on rolling out. Always use new dough each time you roll out and put excess to the side. Each time do the same procedure this way you dont reroll the same dough over and over. Cookies are more tender.
This recipe didn't even work. I made the batter on Saturday afternoon; left it in the fridge for 3 hours. It was still too sticky when I took it out, so I put it in overnight. Took it out on Sunday afternoon and it was slightly more firm, but still too sticky to roll or cut. Left it in the fridge overnight again, removing Monday evening and it was still just as sticky as the day before. I lost my patience - I added a few ingredients, trying to salvage the dough by making drop cookies. But the dough had way too much flour for those kind of cookies. I ended up throwing the dough away. What a waste.
Not to sweet, just right! With the sugar glaze these cookies taste perfect. The sugar glaze compliments the not to sweet cookie. Everyone, kids and adults loved these Butterfly cookies I made for Easter..pretty and delicious!
This will be the fourth Christmas I'll make these cookies - and I get requests from everyone I know! Baking the cookies too long ( even 8 minutes in my oven ) will cause the cookies to become dry. Don't let the cookies get brown at ALL and you will have a smooth beautiful canvas to create cookie masterpieces. :) I add orange zest and orange flavouring when I want a little extra flavour. Excellent recipe
This recipe is great. It was my first attempt at sugar cookies. Any sugar cookies I have ever had that were home made were always thin, dry and crispy and not that great. I rolled these quite thick and they were very cake-like, very close to the cookies-by-design cookies. Based on other reviews, I added more sugar, some lemon zest and extra vanilla and they came out great. I added 25% more sugar and they could have used a little more. Adding an extra cup as some people have mentioned might be too much. 3/4 c. should do it. I made sure to really cream the butter/sugar/eggs well and folded in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula to help keep the dough nice and soft. Be sure to refrigerate well and put any excess back in the fridge between cuttings to keep the dough firm and easier to work with.
I think part of the problem is I am just not a sugar cookie fan. These were fun to make with my daughter though and as sugar cookies go they are good. Not worth the 1 1/2 cups of butter though.
These are very good. Make sure you don't roll them out too thin. They're much better tasting if you make them thick. They won't make as many, but it'll be worth it. Also, don't even think about leaving off the icing. You need some sort of sugary coating on them. I'll definitely make them again! Thanks Jill!
I was a little intimidated by the negative reviews (dough too sticky, cookies too bland, etc) but i just took mine out of the oven and they're GREAT! This was my first attempt at sugar cookies, and I'm glad it was such a great success. I halved the recipe, but kept the same amount of vanilla. Excellent!
This recipe is great!! I've made it four times now, and each time the cookies are awesome!! I have found it much easier to roll the cookies out between two pieces of wax paper - the dough does not stick!! I used the Sugar Cookie Glaze - GREAT!!!
This recipe is a definite 5-star rating! Thanks so much for this awesome cookie recipe. I'm now on my third year using this as my Christmas cookie recipe. I seriously doubt the recipe is at fault for those people having troubles making these...
This is truly THE best rolled sugar cookie recipe I've yet to find. HOWEVER, it did take me a few attempts to perfect them. This is a very sticky dough for rolling so it's VITAL it be very cold ( I chill overnight). I make it exactly as written, I know some people add extra sugar,etc, but I find it is perfect to pair with a sweet frosting. Also be sure to use plenty of flour when rolling, use high quality metal cookie cutters, and roll them out THICK. Also I only bake at 350 degrees, 400 burns the bottoms. I find 8 minutes at 350 is perfect for 1/4" thick cookies. DO NOT overbake! As soon as the bottom are LIGHT brown they are done. I get amazing compliments on these cookies. I've been told over and over they are fancy bakery quality and I should open my own shop!
This is my "go to" recipe for sugar cookies and I KNOW my sugar cookies. :) I make and decorate them professionally. I have probably made this recipe 50 times and it NEVER fails. I read a review of someone who said it was too "Cakey". Just bake at a slightly higher temp. and it should have more bite to it. You can't go wrong if you follow this recipe. Also, yes, it makes a very large batch so if you only need a couple dozen make sure to half it. (But it freezes will if you wrap it in plastic wrap and flatten it into a freezer bag, so might as well make it all and freeze leftovers for next time!)
I added an extra cup of sugar as recommended by other reviewers and these came out perfect. Perfectly sweet and chewy. I rolled them out about 1/2" thick and they took 10 minutes to cook... made perfect cookie bouquet cookies!
If you have a cookie press, this recipe is GREAT! Don't chill the dough, just mix as it's directed & press away!!! The kids love it!
I must be part of the minority on this one. I think that the cookies looked amazing...they had great stage presence and looked great. There was no taste though. It didn't have much flavor and I was disappointed because I was going to use this recipe as gifts for Christmas. I am glad that I decided to try a few days early...just in case. Thanks for the post, anyway.
An EXCELLENT sugar cookie recipe for Christmas cutouts! I roll them out right on the cookie sheet, and simply discard the leftover outside pieces and add to the next batch to be rolled out and baked. The cookies are never disturbed that way, by having to move them from the rolling area to the cookie sheet, and their form stays PERFECT!Thanks for a perfectly classic rolled sugar recipe. I couldn't improve on it! Wonderful!
This is a fabulous cookie recipe, if followed correctly. NOTE: You absolutely cannot substitute margarine or other "butter-like substances" instead of actual butter, or it throws everything off and will not set up or bake properly. The dough firmed up well in the refrigerator overnight, and I had no problems with stickiness at all, and didn't have to add any extra flour (which would make the cookies very dense and probably tasteless if you add enough extra.) The flavor is subtle, but I like it that way. They're great iced with lemon or orange flavored Royal Icing, they turn out very flaky yet firm.
The key is to have to dough very cold. room temp it is too sticky. great, great cookie. Holds the shape and any picture pressed on it. It is not too sweet so the real sweet icing works well. I have never had a cut out cookie keep the impression of my Mom's cookie cutters. Great!!!!! I want to make more.
Too sticky! I am about to give up on them. I can't get them to keep their shape after cutting.
I am not a fan of sugar cookies because they always taste floury, flat, crunchy (in a bad way) and all around plain. However I decided to make these with my step daughter just for fun. The taste was delicious. Not plain at all. Light and fluffy the way every sugar cookie should taste. I only gave this 4 stars bc as others mentioned the dough is difficult to work with. Maybe this is necessary to create the wonderful texture this cookie recipe has. It IS doable it just takes more work. You need to dust your rolling pin constantly with powder sugar. Absolutely use parchment paper also dusted with powder sugar. And last but not least I would keep dough in fridge overnight. I may even put it in the freezer next time for a little bit before I make them. Oh yes, and add another cup of sugar and an additional tsp. of vanilla as another had suggested. Hope this helps!
3 cups sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla, put in fridge overnight, roll out the next day by putting between two sheets of parchment paper and then rolling (no flour or powdered sugar necessary). Put back in the fridge for a few hours before cutting shapes (even better to leave overnight again), cut shapes, put back in fridge before baking. Delicious! It really makes a difference how long they are in the fridge when you are making complicated shapes.
YUMMY--is all I can say. I have made sugar cookies before, but this has to be my favorite recipe. I did add one cup of powdered sugar as suggested by other reviews. I did not roll my cookies out (just to save time) I simply scooped a ball shape with a spoon and dipped it in colored sugar and put them on a cookie sheet. They actually look like little snowballs--I made one batch and they disappeared!! I'm on my way to make another double batch to freeze for the holidays--thank you Jill for the most delicious sugar cookies!! This will be my sugar cookie recipe now.....
This recipe is EXTREMELY easy to make and work with. It makes A LOT of cookies and tastes great.
I'am a stay at hom dad, and I make food for all the neighbors to show them a man can cook and take care of the kids. This recipe was the best one yet. GREAT COOKIES
Fabulous! I was fascinated by the number of reviews and so many extremes! I followed the suggestions of some of the other reviewers and added about 1 cup more sugar and another teaspoon of vanilla. I used confectioners sugar to roll them out. I had to experiment a little. They kept sticking to the pan no matter when I tried to take them off. I finally decided to bake them on parchment and that was the trick. My husband and two teenagers couldn't get enough of them. My son said I must have added some kind of drug because they were so addicting. I gave a few to a friend and she took them home to her husband and 2 girls. They called begging me to make more for them. My husband said no more because he couldn't stop eating them. I sprinkled some with colored sugar, some were plain and some I iced with a buttercream. They were gone in two days.Easy to roll out, held their shape. Just strongly recommend parchment to bake them.
BEST sugar cookies. Soft and delicious. Do plan ahead and chill overnight if you want elaborate shapes.
I have been trying for years to find a great sugar cookie recipe! This one is wonderful, it will be my one and only rolled sugar cookie recipe! The dough was easy to make and very easy to work with once is was chilled. The best thing I like about these (other than their great taste!) is that the cut-outs actually keep their shape! I bought a big set of 100 cookie cutters and even the small,detailed ones, like the dog, came out great! Thier cooling right now, but I plan to use the milk and confectioners sugar icing in this recipe too!
I've never been successful with sugar cookies before, but these were absolutely perfect. I followed the recipe exactly, and suggest that you do the same. I just used a glass to cut round cookies, and as I do with all cookies, I used parchment paper. I did not have one cookie break in all the batches I made. I gave some to my friend, the penultimate cook, and she begged me for the recipe.
I made these cookies for a bakesale and they were delicious. They baked up big and soft and sold quickly!
I just got done makeing these cookies, I followed the recipe and they turned out great! the dough was very sticky when i mixed it, so i chilled it for about 3 hours, it was very easy to roll out. If you don't want the edges crisp roll out dough to 1\2" thick. i baked mine for 7 minutes.hope this will help someone.
I am not usually a fan of cut-out cookies, but I was impressed by this recipe. I rolled the dough out thinner than called for in the recipe, then baked at about 350 for 5 minutes. I find the cookies too pasty when rolled thick, but when they are thinner they have a very light, delicate texture and flavor. If you do this, just remember to keep an eye on the cookies while they’re baking. They burn very quickly! I made little bags of these for “Thank-you” gifts at an engagement party and everyone loved them. (And yes, I was asked for the recipe, as well as any “extra” cookies)
These were just fantastic. I would like to make some notes about the recipe and some other reviews I have read. This recipe is just perfect, it yeilds the most crunchy melt in your mouth sugar cookies on the planet, just like my moms. I would like to say that the dough was indeed very sticky and hard to work with after a night in the fridge, but I kept on, given the reviews. Using other reviewer's techniques, I #1- Used powdered sugar and flour MIXED to roll out the dough. #2- I rolled out the dough on parchment paper, cut out the cookies and removed the excess. I then transfered the parchement and cookies to the cookie sheet and cooked. It was SO easy! yes, the dough was still a bit stick and hard to roll out at first, but I soon got the hang of it and was VERY thankful I didn't have to transfer the cookies individually. They were just wonderful! Thank you so much :-D
Wow! This cookie dough WAS super-easy to work with. I added a little extra vanilla, as others suggested, but other than that I folloed the recipe exactly. My cutters I used were rather large, so I only ended up with about 40 cookies. Next time I will be making a double-batch of this one!
I had to throw away the entire batch! It was so sticky I couldn't even work with it. It stuck to my hand and would not spread at all. Has anyone else had this problem?
I live in a hot country and should have paid more attention to the other reviews about the "dough" going unusable very quickly - even though i chilled it for 6 hours and rolled the dough very quickly, i was only able to use the cookie cutter for 2 cookies, the dough then became unusable. So if you live in a hot country forget this recipe
this is a great recipy! chilling it is the secret and dusting with powdered sugar and not flour when rolling out.
These cookies are absolutely delicious! Do split dough in half and refrigerate half the dough while rolling out the other half otherwise it gets soft and starts to stick and break.
This recipe doesn't need another glowing review (though I would be happy to give it one!), but this is to address those that are finding the dough sticky. The number one reason that comes to mind is that you are using margarine instead of real butter. That can be a real disaster for rolling out cookie dough. But beyond that, my trick for sugar cookie dough that rolls out beautifully is to to use half white and half brown sugar for the total amount called for in the recipe. Give it a try and you will see a pretty dramatic difference in how beautifully and easily your dough rolls out. And the taste and texture is wonderful!
Easy, buttery, great cookies. I make up five or six batches of dough ahead of time and freeze. Around holiday time I pull the dough out, thaw on the countertop, cut, bake, and I'm done. No big mess to clean up.
4000+ reviewers can't be wrong - these are great! So easy to make and roll out, baked up perfectly and held their shape. I used this recipe to make cookie lollipops and before they baked, I was a little concerned that the cookie would be too fragile to hold by the stick, but it worked out great! The first batch that baked came out a little crispier than I like, so I took a minute off the bake time and rolled a little thicker for the second batch - perfect! I did take the suggestions of other reviewers to up the sugar and vanilla a little bit.
With regard to the baking soda vs. powder debate, I've been making these cookies for awhile using baking powder as the recipe says. Then I saw the video for how to make these cookies and they say to use baking soda. Should I be using baking soda instead...? The cookies I've made with BP are so freaking delicious, they don't last more than a couple of days in our house. So, I looked around and found this explanation/comparison of the two: Baking powder and baking soda are the two most common leaveners in cookies. Baking soda is simply bicarbonate of soda, while baking powder is a combination of bicarbonate of soda plus cream of tartar, an acidic ingredient. Baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the dough, allowing the cookies to brown in the oven. Since baking powder already contains its own acid, it will not reduce the acidity in the dough, and the resulting cookies will be puffier and lighter in color.
This recipe is a keeper. I was looking for a roll out sugar cookie that I could frost without being too sugary. I decreased the sugar by 1/2 a cup and added in another teaspoon of vanilla. Other than that, it's perfect. For those complaining about how cakey they look, roll your dough out thinner. I did use real butter though which may be the issue of those people saying the taste was blah especially if they used margarine.
This has been my go to recipe for a couple years now and EVERYONE comments on how they love my sugar cookies. I do vary a bit... For those who say it has no flavor-- don't use store bought Vanilla. Use baker's emulsions (found online or at specialty cake stores) the flavor will not bake out, this is what the pros use. Also I add an extra 1/2 tsp almond emulsion which really adds some flavor (you can add the almond to icing also-- really great at Christmas). In the spring or summer try Lemon emulsion instead of almond. My favorite emulsion is butter vanilla, makes the cookies perfect, I sub this for the regular vanilla. I add an additional cup of sugar unless I am icing them-- then they don't need it. Hope this helps. The dough is great to work with. Rest is overnight in the freezer and then bring it to a workable but still cool temperature on the counter, refrigerate excess between batches. This helps with the sticky and crumbly problems.
This dough was very hard to work with for me, even after chilling as suggested. However, with a little bit of patience I ended up with a lovely tasted cookie that also tasted fabulous.
Followed the recipe exactly and they were baked at 6 minutes. Sooo soft and such a great flavour!! Didn't find these bland at all!!
I made these with a friend (who knows a little more about cookies than I do) and my daughter yesterday. We only let the dough chill a few hours and although reviewers have mentioned "sticky dough" being main problem with the recipe, we sprinkled flour on both our surface and on the roller and had NO problem at all. No cracking, no expanding no nothing...just great cookies. My daughter loved cutting these out and even more fun decorating. Easy cookies that everyone we shared them with loved. We had so much fun (with such great results) we will be making them again very soon for the upcoming holidays. Thanks Jill.
The name says it all. These are the best sugar cookies I ever made. I took the advice of one reviewer and used a cookie gun. I did not chill the batter. It was a dream to work with. Great taste and the shapes held very nicely. Definitely 5 stars. PS It also makes LOTS of cookies.
I USED THIS RECIPE FOR "CARROT" CUT OUT COOKIES FOR EASTER. THIS WILL BE THE RECIPE IS USE FROM NOW ON. KAB
Just wanted to give a helpful tip in regards to baking the sugar cookies. After you have them cut out and placed on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet place the cookie sheet in the fridge for about 15 minutes. It will help the cookies from spreading too much as well as prevent them from browning too quickly.
Not what I had expected for a sugar cookie, but is was very good. I followed the recipe exactly, and found it easy to make. The cookies come out soft and fluffy, somewhat lighter than I am used to. Let them cool completely prior to trying them, because they are very sweet when warm, they tame down when they cool. Instead of rolling out the dough, I made a log, wrapped it in plastic wrap, let it cool overnight and then cut it into slices. Makes beautiful cookies, when you don't want to hunt down your cookie cutters. Cookies do not spread and only rise a little, so the size you cut is the size you get.
Yep, they are yummy! Making them thick is the key. They taste like "Cookies By Design" cookies!
Perfect. Followed others' suggestions and used parchment (why have I never done this before?!); also the past few years I've used powdered sugar rather than flour. MUCH tastier! I glaze them with a bit of egg white and let the kids go to town with colored sugars and sprinkles. I also make "paint" from powdered sugar, milk, and a bit of food coloring. Easier if you make the dough the night before and have it ready in the fridge...I just store it in a large Ziploc.
I added 3 cups sugar instead of 2 and found the taste sweet enough to eat without icing! Very tasty this way. I also had to gradually add at least another 3/4 cup of flour or so as I was rolling/cutting out cookie dough, because it was very sticky, impossible to handle. A couple of tips however: #1: Make sure the dough is rolled no thinner than 1/2 inch. Otherwise, its difficult to get off of the countertop, even if your surface is floured. #2: Keep remaining dough in fridge or freezer as you are working. #3: When judging the 'doneness' of a cookie, it should not be golden brown on the edges, unless you are ok with a crisp cookie. If you want a completely soft cookie, it should be done no more than eight minutes into baking time, and look white when you pull out of the oven. #4: DO GREASE THE PAN!!! I used Pam butter flavored cooking spray. Of course, my tips are all my personal taste...hope this helps someone!
perfect as is. this sat in my frig for days and was still easy to roll and tastes amazing!!!
I made the mistake of adding sugar to this recipe as top reviews suggested, if you plan to add a glaze, that is plenty extra sugar. I made this recipe one year just as is and it was wonderful with the glaze. The dough is hard to work with, but I find it to be a great sugar cookie in the end.
Just like J.Saunders said, every person who tried one asked for the recipe. Simply delicious!
Excellent recipe. I doubled the almond flavoring and let the dough chill overnight. I rolled them to 3/8" on parchment with a coating of powdered sugar. I chilled each sheet in the fridge after cutting out the shapes and baked them for nine minutes each, plus two minutes cooling time on the sheet. DH declared them winners, and he doesn't like sugar cookies. They did puff up a bit more than I'd like, but will loojk great frosted. This is an easy recipe that made 48 cutout cookies for me. Next time I may divide the dough and use lemon extract and vanilla extract so that we have several flavors from one recipe..
Personally, I wouldn't even give this recipe one star. My issue wasn't the consistency of the dough, it's the taste of the cookie. Horrible! Icing them to keep from tasting the blandness would be the only solution. I've learned a lesson and a valuable one at that. ALWAYS read all reviews before tackling a new recipe so you don't waste good ingredients.
I should have read more reviews before baking - I see that many double the vanilla to 2 tsp. to increase the flavor. I thought these cookies were flavorless and perhaps the extra tsp. of vanilla would have done the trick.
WOW!!! These came out absolutly perfect! hands down my new favorite holiday cookie recipe! i cut the serving size down to 15 - cause i wanted to "test" them first before making a million! doubled the vanilla (glad i did)& added a dash of cinnamon. ((the trick to them not sticking to the rolling pin or counter - is to roll the dough out in 3 sections. roll one while the others remain in the fridge. roll quickly and try not to touch the dough much.)) 6 min was the perfect amount of time in my oven!
This is a keeper. The dough was easy to work with, baked up just right, and tasted great. They aren't too sweet so they are perfect for decorative icing, etc. The kids had fun decorating them. I'll use this recipe from now on.
Oh, my goodness is all I can say! These were the best! The dough holds up great while rolling and cutting cookies and doesn't puff up really huge either! This is our keeper!
I first need to say that sugar cookies are my nemesis... No, seriously. In my life, all attempts to create a sugar cookie heaven, rolled and drop alike, have failed. Miserably! Obviously, I am NOT an avid baker and am just beginning to learn how to make things that are edible. (THANK YOU ALLRECIPES!!) So, I decided to venture, once again, into the deep unknown and attempt to conquer my great white whale! Okay, dozens of tiny ones, but you get the idea... I suck at them. Well, I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to give it my best shot, one last try before I gave up for good! ....I've done it! They're alive! They're aliiiiiiive(with flavor and fluffy, chewiness) They're chewy and soft, delicious and EDIBLE! I nearly fainted. So, in conclusion, this recipe is just lovely. I KNOW that I was doing things wrong before but this one so clearly spelled it out for me that I couldn't mess it up even with my 4 year old helping. Which is clearly what I needed. No fancy terms or assumptions that I knew what the heck someone meant by one thing or another. THANK YOU Jill Saunders for making this idiot proof. :) I love these and we'll be making them again and again... Oh, and I didn't change a thing.
I made this recipe with the advice from other reviewers. I used only brown sugar and doubled the vanilla. The batter tasted YUMMY. The cookie was okay - simple - I think it's missing a bit of pizazz if you are going to eat it plain maybe I'll add more vanilla next time. So I used the Butter Icing for Cookies by Barbara like another user suggested and the icing is perfect! Not hard not soft and sweet enough to go on the cookie to make it more special (next time I will add food coloring to make it prettier) Because I didn't have food coloring I decided to make a chocolate icing as well and used the Chocolate Icing recipe by Linda Caroll and followed the recipe in addition to what some of the reviewers added to make it better. Be very careful with the icing - it hardens in the pastry bag - you have to work fast I also kept the icing over a boiling flame to keep it from crusting. Back to the cookie: The cookie dough is very sticky and you have to flour everything to keep it from sticking to A. The surface B. The Rolling Pin C. The cookie cutters I basically dipped the cookie cutters every once in awhile into flour to keep the batter from sticking to it. I also think my appartment was way to warm - I'll open a window next time! I yielded over 60 cookies with about 2/3 of the recipe. I think I'll have over 100 with this recipe with small cookie cutter - a bit larger than bite sized cookies.
I love sugar cookies, and I love making them! I am known for sugar cookies. I decided to try something new, because the last few times I made my usual recipe, they seemed to turn out crumbley. I LOVE this recipe. They are so soft. It's easier, it doesn't puff out of shape and it's tastes great.
Everyone loves these cookies. Frost them with American or italian buttercream and they are to die for.
These are excellent sugar cookies! This has been the recipe that I have used for a very long time.. wouldnt use another recipe! Always use parchment paper.. just makes things easier. I do not leave the dough overnight in the frig as it makes the dough way to hard - I only leave it for about an hour in the frig just to chill it some. I do use extra sugar and vanilla as per another review - up the sugar to 3 cups and vanilla to 2 tsps. I also make this recipe eggless often times (using ENER-G egg substitute) as my daughter has an egg allergy, and the recipe still tastes excellent! Highly recommend this recipe!
ummm ... I must've done something wrong. These were terrible. I will try again someday and change my review if needed. Sorry. I'm sure it was my mistake.
Delicious! My first attempt at sugar cookies. I followed the directions exactly, refrigerated dough for 1 hour, and only rolled out a small bit at a time, putting the remaining dough in the freezer in the meantime. Was easy to work with. I used powdered sugar instead of flour to roll it out, and used an unopened bottle of wine as a rolling pin. :) I'll make these again!
These were fine. I'm in the process of moving, and all my cookbooks were packed, so I looked for a new recipe here when my daughter begged to make sugar cookies. These were perfectly sufficient, I didn't have any of the sticking trouble people were talking about. I didn't even have to add more flour, did it just as written. I did roll them out with powdered sugar, not flour. These also held shape very well for me.
Followed the recipe exactly. This is way too sticky to roll out and I got tired of adding flour, so I spooned it on to the cookie sheet. Huge disappointment.
Really impressed. I'm a chef by trade and do a lot of baking, this is my first ever attempt at sugar cookies and considering i just ate 4 of them without frosting, ok 5...maybe 6, the recipe speaks for itself, these are not generally made in Australia for holiday occasions, but my husband is American and he always tells me how good his mum's are. They are a little chewy, sweet and have a beautiful vanilla flavour. I added 1 extra cup of sugar and 1 extra teaspoon of vanilla. I made the dough at 8am, it's 11 am now and I have some iced. I just couldn't wait overnight, I'm too impatient. I chilled the dough for an hour, then cut what I needed and chilled the cut cookies before cooking. Once out of the oven i let them stand for 20 minutes before popping them in the fridge so I could decorate a few. They hold their shape, and didnt crumble at all. I'm looking forward to baking the next 100, it seems there is a lot of dough still in the fridge. I did read another review that said ' mix the flour with a spoon, not the electric mixer' this is a must, otherwise I'm sure i would have crumbly tough cookie dough. Thank you for making my first attempt at sugar cookies an easy one.
I made this recipe on 3/17/14 St. Patrick's Day. I read many reviews and most said to add and extra cup of sugar, extra tsp. of vanilla, and some lemon zest. I did add the extras and I'm glad I did. The texture of the cookie is like a "cake cookie", but its delicious! I gave it 4 stars because the dough is very very sticky. I made the dough in my standing mixer, I'm glad I did. If you don't have a mixer use a wooden spoon. I distributed the dough in 4 parts in plastic wrap (This will help when you are ready to roll out the dough, small sections is easier). I chilled for 2 hrs. Did not use rolling pin, too sticky. Just patted the dough down with my floured hands a bit and then cut my shapes. Baked my large cookies at 375 for 10 min. It made 25 large cookies. The cookies puff up quite a bit so the cookie did not hold its shamrock shape. I think that it might need an extra cup of flour or reduce the butter a little. I will make again, with some alterations for sure. I'll post an update if I do. Happy Baking Everyone! :)
Very sticky. Hard to roll and cut. I gave up and spooned the dough onto the baking sheet and made rounds. The dough was tasty. Not the cookie. Very cakey texture. I was not a fan.
This is exactly the type of sugar cookie recipe I was looking for...thick and fairly tender, rather than thin and crisp - like the ones in those little clear plastic containers in the bakery dept. in the market. Made them for Valentine's Day, using a heart-shaped cutter. Excellent with "Rick's Special Buttercream Frosting" (1/2 recipe)on this site, which makes them even MORE like those bakery cookies, and this frosting stays soft & creamy on the cookies and does not melt, so they keep well...if you can keep them from disappearing! I rolled dough between 1/4" and 1/2", and baked only till set - do NOT allow to brown, or they will be dry. I think next time I may try 2 tsps of vanilla instead of 1, for added flavor, and make the frosting with lemon zest.
These cookies were great! I halved the recipe, doubled the vanilla, and sprinkled in a bit of cinnamon. I decorated these for Valentine's day and sandwiched some with strawberry preserves. So pretty and very tasty- I'll be using this recipe again and again! One tip - Keep the dough in the freezer and roll out a bit at a time...makes it easier to work with.
I have made this recipe twice: first as written, then most recently, with the suggestions made by many others. My comments: * Best taste is with the additional cup of sugar, and an extra tsp of vanilla. Definitely use this combo if you're not going to ice them. If you are going to ice them, you can use the original recipe as your icing wlll add the extra kick of sweetness. I like the sweet variety AND will still ice mine! :-) * If you're going to roll and cut shapes, be sure to keep the dough chilled throughout the process. The warmer the dough, the more it spreads while baking, thus your cut shapes will lose their shape. * Cook time will vary based on the size and thickness of your cut shapes and how cold your dough is. The bigger and thicker the shapes and colder the dough, the longer they take. My 5" wide and 1/4" thick valentine hearts took about 10 mins to bake where they were not raw in the middle. My dough was very cold...spent the night in the fridge!
Followed the recipe exactly. Just remember not to roll them out thin, they do not rise or expand at all in the oven.
These are awesome! I rolled them out between 2 pieces of parchment paper, set them on a cookie sheet and stuck them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. I then sprayed my cutters with cooking spray to cut them. Pealed the excess dough away and baked for 8 minutes. The perfect cookie was born.
very good! but do as it says..put in the fridge over night or else you wont be able to roll out the dough
These really are the BEST rolled sugar cookies. They are not like sugar cookies that come in roll packages at the store, so don't make these if that is what you are looking for. These are for cutting out with cookie cutters and an d then frosting! They are perfect! I have to use a lot of flour to get the dough the right consistency, but they never taste too floury, so don't be afraid to work in some flour if your dough is too sticky! If the cookies are rolled too thin, they might come out a little more crunchy than you like, but are still good. I use Barbara's "Butter Icing for Cookies" on these cookies, and they come out SOOOOOOOO good. The icing perfectly complements the cookies. Try them together and you WILL NOT be disappointed!
The batter was waaay too sticky, and I could not roll them out at all. So, I just dropped them onto the cookie sheet, which was also a bad idea becuase they didn't melt in the oven, they just stayed round. They tasted very cakey, and not cookie-like at all. I followed the recipe exactly!! I don't know what went wrong... I put some chocolate icing on it, which made it a little bit better. For some reason, other people liked the "fluffyness" of it, but I didn't enjoy them at all.
I have never been much of a fan of sugar cookies but I have to say that these were really good. They were extremely easy to roll and cut cookies out of. I'm already planning on making another batch this weekend to decorate. Everyone gobbled them up.
Not a true sugar cookie in my opinion, as the cookies taste nearly bland without icing. If you're looking for a plain old sugar cookie to sprinkle sugar on top, this is not what you want. But EXTREMELY good and an instant favorite. Beware: amount of cookie dough mysteriously decreases during chill time in refrigerator, especially with little ones nearby. (darn refrigerator!) Kept in a tupperware, even the thin browned cookies soften by the end of the day (at least the frosted ones) and have the perfect cookie texture.
I was actually a little disapointed with this recipe. I made it because all the reviews raved about it. I made this twice thinking, hey maybe I made this wrong the first time. It tastes good but I felt it needed more sugar and butter. Its a good base recipe to modify and make your own version. I sugggest adding an extra 1/2 cup of sugar. Works well with cookie cutters too!
I followed two other reviewers. Cut the flour by a cup, and one egg. Added another cup of sugar to equal 3. Blech. Flour and egg decrease worked well. 3 cups of sugar was too much. I'll shortly upload my version with pix for excellent sugar cookies. (couldn't find it during the holi-daze of 2014)
