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Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies
5 from 126 votes

Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies

Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies offer tender, buttery bites shaped using classic cookie cutters. The dough combines all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt for a light crumb, enriched by softened salted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and both vanilla and almond extracts. Chilling the dough before cutting ensures precise shapes and a soft texture after baking. Optionally, these cookies can be decorated with a simple icing made from powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla, tinted with food coloring for festive looks.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 36 cookies (in various sizes and shapes)
Calories: 94 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter softened at room temperature, salted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (or reduce to ¼ teaspoon for a more subtle flavor)
Icing (Optional)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Gel food coloring optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine. Add vanilla extract and almond extract; mix until incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix on low until a soft dough forms.
  2. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Place each portion on a piece of lightly-floured parchment paper or a lightly-floured silicone mat. With a lightly-floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about ¼ -inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems sticky.
  3. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours (or overnight).
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Carefully remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired shapes.
  5. Arrange the shapes about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. You can re-roll the dough scraps to cut out additional cookies, but you will need to chill the cut-out dough on the baking sheets in the fridge or freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking. This will give the dough a chance to firm up again so that the cookies don’t spread in the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
To Prepare Icing (Optional):
  1. Combine confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. If icing is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the icing is thick but spreadable. If it’s too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Use gel food coloring to tint the frosting, if desired. Pipe or spread onto the cooled cookies and then allow the icing to firm up and set before packaging (this may take a couple of hours).

Notes

  • This recipe makes a small batch yielding up to 36 small cookies; doubling ingredients is advised for more cookies.
  • Dough can be prepared and rolled out one day in advance and refrigerated overnight, or frozen for up to one month before use.
  • Baked cookies should be cooled completely before tightly wrapping and freezing, maintaining quality up to two months.
  • Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week to preserve softness.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cookie (not including optional icing or decorations) Calories 94kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 19mg (6%) Sodium 70mg (3%) Potassium 26mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 131IU (3%) Calcium 9mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 36 cookies (in various sizes and shapes)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 94

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cookie (not including optional icing or decorations)
Calories 94kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 70mg 3%
Potassium 26mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 131IU 3%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.