Who says cut-out sugar cookies are just for Christmas? Yes, these rolled cookies are fun during the Christmas season with all the Christmas tree and bell-shaped cookies. But they can be just as festive any time of the year, too. Learning how to make cookie cutter dough is fun and easy.
A simple, light, and sweet buttery flavor, making these sugar cookies will definitely become a lasting tradition with your family. To get you started, read on to learn the easy steps on how make cookie cutter dough.
Ingredients Needed for your Sugar Cookies
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups of granulated white sugar
- 1 ½ cup of salted butter (softened)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
5 Steps on How to Make Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Are you excited to bake? If you are, here are the steps on how to make cookie cutter dough for those beautiful cookies.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Using parchment paper, line cookie sheets; set aside.
Step 2. Combine dry ingredients like flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl; set aside.
Step 3. Combine sugar and the softened butter into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat at medium speed. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and continue beating until they are well mixed. Gradually add your combined dry ingredients and beat at low speed.
Step 4. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead to incorporate the crumbs to form a smooth dough. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. You can chill the dough, then roll it, or you can roll the dough, and then chill it.
Step 5. The last step on how make cookie cutter dough is to cut the dough into shapes with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter and place it into the prepared cookie sheets. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until just as the edges begin to brown. You don’t want them to brown totally as this will ensure the cookies remain soft and nice. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes; then remove them and place them to the cooling rack. Let them cool completely before icing.
Tip: One tip on how make cookie cutter dough, if you’re planning to cut using intricate cutters, chill dough first for 30 minutes before rolling and cutting. This will ensure your cookies will hold their detailed shape.
Note: The number of cookies you get will hugely depend on how thick you roll out the dough and how big or small your cookie cutter is.
How To Cut Out Cookies To Hold Their Shape
There are three essential things to consider how to make cookie cutter dough and ensure sugar cookies will hold their shape:
- Only use real butter. No substitutes! We usually use salted butter because that’s what we usually have on hand. But for even better results, use a high-fat butter.
- Make sure that you’ve mixed the ingredients thoroughly. If there are pockets of butter, they will melt during baking and will cause the cookies to spread. Make sure that the butter is softened before mixing it with other ingredients.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator. Yes, it’s sometimes painful to wait for the dough to chill, but it does help sugar cookies keep their shape.
Freeze the Cookie Dough for Future Baking
This cookie cutter dough recipe freezes well. You can whip up these cookies up to a month in advance. Just wrap the cookies really well and freeze them. Make sure to place parchment paper in between the cookie layers as these cookies are soft and may stick together.
If it’s time to bake them, allow these cookies to defrost completely before unwrapping them. This simple method will help the moisture stay in the cookies and not become dry.
Icing the Cut-Out Sugar Cookie
This cookie recipe holds several types of frosting well. They make an excellent base for fancier, royal icing cookies. If you want a royal icing recipe, try this one. We’ve used it before, and it really works well!
If you want something easier and simpler, you can use powdered sugar frosting. The color remains vibrant, and the frosting stays soft.
If you’re into a fluffy sugar cookie frosting, try using vanilla buttercream. You can pipe this frosting in swirls or spread it on the cookies and then top with sprinkles.
Conclusion
Learning how to make cookie-cutter dough for cut-out sugar cookies is so fun and easy. If you haven’t tried making these cookies, don’t be afraid to be a ‘cookie rookie and give it a try. Who knows, you might find your passion for baking. Or make baking cookies your new family tradition (although it has been too many). Just make sure to follow these steps and tips to create that soft, chewy, great-tasting sugar cookie that you and your family will surely love. Know more about cookie cutters.