Sugar Cookies

I wanted to share my favourite sugar cookie recipe with you. It’s been my go to for years!  Sugar cookies can be hit or miss. But these are definitely a favourite in my family. I’ve also included my icing recipe if you would like to decorate them!

Yields about 20 cookies. (Depends on your cookie cutter size)

Ingredients:

For Cookies:

2½ Cups (390g) all-purpose flour

½ Teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoon (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 Cup Sugar

1 egg

1½ Teaspoon vanilla extract

For icing:

2 Cups powdered sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon of melted butter.

4-6 Tablespoon milk

Instructions:

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.

Using anelectric mixer, in a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add egg and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute.   Reduce mixer speed to low.

Beat in half of flour mixture until it’s almost incorporated.

Add the remaining flour mixture and continue beating until flour is fully incorporated and dough starts to pull away from bowl. (Could take 2-3mins)

Divide and shape dough into 2 equal disks and wrap both of them plastic wrap.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days. Remove dough from refrigerator  20 minutes before rolling out.*

Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough about 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut dough with cookie cutters and space 1 inch apart on sheets.

Bake cookies until golden brown around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely.

For icing:

In your stand mixture with the whip attachment, pour in the sugar and butter. Mix for 30 seconds on low.

Then add vanilla and mix for 15 seconds.

Start adding 1 tablespoon of milk and stir. Keep adding 1 tablespoon at time until you reach desired consistency.*

Then ice your cookies.

It’s best to allow the icing to set before eating the cookie (if you can wait lol).

Notes:

-If i’m leaving the cookie dough in the fridge overnight, I find I need to remove the dough from the refrigerator about 40 mins before rolling it out.  It just makes the dough easier to roll out

- I typically use 5 tablespoons of milk for the icing. I find it a good consistency to drizzle the icing on top and/or dunk the top of the cookies in the icing.

Cookies will last up to 5 days in a airtight container.

The cookie recipe was developed by Williams Sonoma’s test kitchen.