Description
This recipe produces thick, soft, and chewy sugar cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that still maintain their shape well enough for simple cutting and decorating.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, for depth of flavor)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.
- Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The edges should be set, but the centers should still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate once fully cooled.
Notes
- For the softest center, slightly underbake the cookies by 1 minute.
- If you skip chilling, the cookies will spread more and lose some shape definition.
- Use room temperature ingredients for better creaming and texture.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 85
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 30