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Cut out homemade Sugar Cookies that have a crisp edge and the softest center! Topped with my favorite cream cheese frosting and sprinkles this is a tried and true family sugar cookie recipe! You will agree that they are the BEST!
Sugar Cookie Recipe
I sure do love sugar cookies! If a neighbor brings me over a plate of sugar cookies with frosting they will instantly become my new BFF. What is it about a fresh baked sugar cookie with frosting that is so delicious?
I have had a lot of sugar cookies in my day. Some are way to crisp and not soft enough on the inside. I love this recipe because it is the best of both worlds. A little crisp on the outside, but not too crisp, and they have the softest center! The edges don’t expand while baking and they come out looking in the perfect shape.
The recipe is a pretty basic and traditional sugar cookie recipe. The dough comes together in a matter of minutes. But I found that the secret to the best sugar cookie is added almond extract. The almond extract add such a rich and delicious almond flavor making them absolutely perfect.
How do you make sugar cookies?
- In a large bowl beat the butter until smooth and creamy for about one minute. Add the sugar and continue to beat until creamy for about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and continue to beat until incorporated.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the creamed mixture and continue to beat until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a ball and chill in the fridge for one hour and can be chilled overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough out to desired thickness (mine were ¼ inch thick) and cut with cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes or until just set. I like mine more soft so I cooked mine for 8 minutes. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
- To make the cream cheese frosting: Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until it is smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cookies.
Do I have to chill the sugar cookie dough?
The dough does require an hour of chilling time. So go change and fold some laundry or get caught up on a netflix show. 🙂 They are ready to be rolled out and cut into perfect and cute sugar cookies.
My kids love to help make sugar cookies and we loved spending some time in the kitchen making cookies together. We ate way to many cookies to count and had fun delivering them to friends.
How long do sugar cookies last after baking?
Store your cookies in an airtight container. They will last for up to a week.
These cookies are perfect for your Valentine’s Day festivities and are so good that you will want to make them throughout the year! This will become your favorite go to sugar cookie recipe that you will make again and again.
You are going to quickly agree that they are the best! Trust me. I made sure by eating at least 3! ?
Sugar Cookie Recipe
The Best Sugar Cookies Ever!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- food coloring if desired
Instructions
- In a large bowl beat the butter until smooth and creamy for about one minute. Add the sugar and continue to beat until creamy for about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and continue to beat until incorporated.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the creamed mixture and continue to beat until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a ball and chill in the fridge for one hour and can be chilled overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough out to desired thickness (mine were ¼ inch thick) and cut with cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes or until just set. I like mine more soft so I cooked mine for 8 minutes. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
- To make the cream cheese frosting: Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until it is smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
Serves: 24
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
After refrigeration overnight should it sit before rolling out / my dough is hard I just want to make sure I did this right
Once you start using the dough and playing with it, it will quickly soften.
Im making this now. I doubled the recipe for Christmas cookie decorating party. I only put one egg in though
Will they still come out ok? The dough seemed to come together ok.
Yes, that will be okay. It may not stick as well but it sounds like it is going well so far!
Can u freeze them after u baked them?
Yes, these freeze really well.
I’m going to make these for the police department today during this crazy time! Is it ok if I leave out the almond extract in case of allergies?
Yes, you can use vanilla instead for the added flavoring. That is so sweet of you!
Delicious. Refrigerated dough for half an hour. Very easy to roll out. Halved the frosting recipe and still had some left over. Will definitely make again.
I have tried so many sugar cookie recipes over the years! I found this and used it for my son’s grad party, as well as a friend’s. This is PERFECT. I’ve also shared the recipe with a few others who asked for it after tasting the cookies, and it is now the go to for all of us.
When i am making sugar or short bread cookies . I take about two cups of icing sugar and sift it and when counter and rolling pin get sticky i dust them both with icing sugar
These are delicious, however there is about twice the icing you need. I would recommend making a double batch of the cookie dough for that amount of frosting as it really didn’t make that many cookies. My 4 year old granddaughter ate 3. Don’t tell mom!
This is the first time I made sugar cookies, Acually any kund of cookies my mom and sisters always baked and I was clean up These cookies turned out very well However I never made frosting I bought the philladelphia cream cheese frosting and used glitter sprinkles A huge hit
can i substitute anise for almond extract
Yes, that will be great!
This is no doubt the BEST sugar cookie recipe!
I made them for family and friends and everyone loved it and can’t seem to get enough of them! I received tons of compliments of how amazing the cookies taste every time I make these, so I’m definitely keeping this recipe and will be making them on repeat. Thank you for this great recipe! xx
(For my nut allergy friends- I took out the almond extract and added another 1/2 tsp extra of vanilla extract just to get that rich vanilla cookie taste)