Sugar Cookies
Table of Contents
Sugar Cookies Recipe
Sugar cookies are easily my favorite type of cookie. The way to my heart is through a good sugar cookie, and always has been. But until now, I had never tried to make them myself. It always seemed like such a daunting task to get it right. Everyone who could make them was some sort of magician. I thought that until I tried this recipe! Now I want to make them all the time.
This post contains affiliate links
Sugar cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and sweet. The ingredients are so simplistic for the deliciousness that they create!
Sugar Cookie Origins
Sugar cookies originated with German Protestants that settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The bakers who pioneered this delicious baked treat were so influential in the history of the sugar cookie that they were originally called Nazareth Cookies. I am so glad these bakers made this amazing cookie!
Sugar Cookies Ingredients
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 cups flour
Sugar Cookies Directions
Cream the butter and sugar together.
Add in the eggs and vanilla.
Mix all the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, after wrapping in wax or parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from spreading.
Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8th of an inch thickness.
Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters and carefully/gently transfer to the baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are starting to turn brown around the edges.
Sugar Cookies Frosting
Frosting Ingredients
4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
½ cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring, if desired
Frosting Directions
In a large bowl, cream together the powdered sugar and shortening, until smooth. Mix in the milk and vanilla until smooth and stiff. This should take about 5 minutes. Add food coloring if desired, a drop or two at a time until you reach the color you’re looking for.
It is important to know that if you’re planning to decorate your cookies, let them cool completely before decorating. Warm cookies and icing do not mix. The frosting will melt and run right off the cookies, which defeats the purpose.
Notes
This recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies when cut into 3-5 inch shapes. Or more, depending on the size.
One of my favorite aspects of making sugar cookies is decorating. Decorating can be tailored to any occasion and personalized, making these cookies perfect any special event. This can range from holidays to birthdays, graduations, and even gamer-related. The possibilities really are endless!
These sugar cookies are perfect for any occasion because of the endless decorating possibilities and can easily be customized. I love how versatile this one single cookie can be.
Cookies Make People Happy
Why do cookies make people happy? It can be a cute design, a delicious taste, or a nostalgic memory of making cookies with friends or family. Cookies bring happiness into all of our lives for these reasons! One of my favorite cookie memories is making snickerdoodles with my aunt when I was younger, and it is a tradition I’ve continued for many years, and included my husband.
Discussion
Have you tried this recipe? What is your favorite kind of cookie? Are you a fan of sugar cookies? Tell me about it in the comments! Check out my other dessert recipes!
Amazon Notice
The Cooking Wife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, at no added cost to you.
16 Comments
Jennifer Brubaker
Just got into making sugar cookies the last two years around Christmas with my mother-in-law and sis-in-laws and our little children! 🙂 It’s a fun tradition that can involve the whole family!
Scott DeNicola
This has been my go-to Christmas cookie for as long as I can remember. We made these in my house as kids and I have been making them with my children every year since their birth. You are correct that decorating the sugar cookie is limitless. We like to drizzle them with confectionary sugar mixed with a little milk. So good!
Morgan
Wow, these are so pretty! I love the colour of the blue sugar cookies. This looks like a nice and easy recipe that the kids would enjoy and like it would take only a few easy swaps to make them vegan friendly. Something to consider this year for Christmas. Thanks for the inspiration!
Stephanie S
These look so delicious! I’ve always loved sugar cookies, and I am thinking about baking some cookies this upcoming weekend. I love that these are simple. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! – I look forward to making these very soon.
Stephanie S.
Tracy @ Cleland Clan
How I love a good sugar cookie! I’ve never used shortening in my frosting–I’ll have to try this out!
Melanie williams
Ooo yes please. a nice cookie or two with a hot chocolate or cup of tea sounds just lovely. I love the look and presentation of these too xx
Megan Holliday
I love sugar cookies! Will be sure to try this recipe out!
Lyosha
Do you believe in coincidents? My husband and I planned on making cookies today and couldn’t decide on recipe. Your post solved it. Thanks Erica and much love.
Lyosha
we actually did it. It turned out delicious, I am madly in love with the frosting, it’s so simple yet absolutely fantastic, I will add to different pastry in future
Britt K
I haven’t made sugar cookies in far too long, but these look and sound amazing! The recipe looks like it’s very similar to the one that my grandmother used to make. I don’t know her full recipe, I just remember odds and ends from making them with her as a child. I’ll definitely have to give these a try!
Kat
This looks like a delicious and also not extremely complicated to make. Right up my alley!
I always find it so interesting to read American recipes because you work with cups and spoons. Growing up in Switzerland, we used grams and a scale to measure it out.
Debra A
This is awesome! I’m always looking for delicious, uncomplicated recipes that I can easily tweak to be sans gluten and this is definitely one of them! Sugar cookies are a staple for all holiday occasions!
LuLu
I have tried so many sugar cookie recipes over the years but for some reason they don’t turn out right. I need to try this recipe!
Subhashish Roy
Sugar cookies has been one of my favorites for years & there is an outlet here which makes them so well. But we have never tried making at home ever. May be we should give it a try. It seems quite easy to make. Thanks for the recipe.
Kelly Martin
I haven’t tried making sugar cookies before but they look great. I’m not an experienced baker but the recipe sounds fairly straightforward. I love the blue and red icing.
Smita
I’ve always thought of cookies as store-bought things but this recipe looks so doable! I will definitely try it out – though with a smaller batch at first otherwise I’m afraid I’ll end up eating them for all 3 meals!