Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 375 g all-purpose flour
- 2 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 227 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 161 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 20 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 62 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 28 mg
- Potassium
- 23 mg
- Calcium
- 11 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 4 mg
- Phosphorus
- 25 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 68 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 5 mcg
- Water
- 5 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until just combined and smooth. Do not over-mix to avoid incorporating excess air, which causes cookies to spread.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough just comes together and no dry spots remain.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Place each portion between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to an even 6mm thickness with a rolling pin.
Transfer the rolled dough sheets, remaining flat between the parchment paper, to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 1 hour until firm.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top layer of parchment. Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters.
Carefully transfer the cut shapes to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2cm apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges barely begin to turn golden.
Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Chef's Notes
- Rolling the dough directly between two sheets of parchment paper before chilling eliminates the need for extra dusting flour, which can dry out the cookies and cause toughness.
- To maintain the sharpest edges on intricate shapes, place the cut-out dough on its baking sheet into the freezer for 10 minutes immediately before baking.
- Cream the butter and sugar only until smooth and combined, not until light and fluffy. Incorporating too much air will cause the cookies to puff and spread in the oven.
- Dip your cookie cutters in all-purpose flour before each press to ensure clean cuts and prevent the chilled dough from sticking inside the cutter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store well-wrapped unbaked dough or baked cookies in an airtight container
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unbaked cut-outs on a sheet first, then transfer to a freezer bag
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread and lose their intricate shape during baking
Cause: Dough was too warm, butter was over-creamed with too much air, or dough was not chilled sufficiently
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but remaining unbaked dough can be returned to the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting and baking
Prevention: Do not over-cream the butter and sugar, and ensure the dough is thoroughly chilled right before going into the hot oven
Dough is crumbly and will not come together during mixing
Cause: Flour was over-measured or dough needs a bit more moisture
Fix: Knead the dough gently with warm hands for a minute; if still dry, sprinkle 5ml of milk and gently mix until it holds together
Prevention: Weigh flour accurately using a kitchen scale rather than using measuring cups
Cultural Context
Cut-out sugar cookies became deeply ingrained in North American holiday traditions during the mid-twentieth century, evolving from simpler European butter cookies. The practice of shaping dough with decorative cutters was popularized with the advent of standardized tin manufacturing, turning cookie baking into a widespread festive family activity during Christmas and other holidays.
