Who doesn’t love to sink their sweet tooth into a perfectly soft, chewy, and preferably warm sugar cookie? While sugar cookies only require a few simple ingredients, if they aren’t executed just right, you’ll bite into overbaked disappointment and nobody wants that. We’re here to help you bake the very best sugar cookies every time so whether you’re doing some holiday baking or just find yourself craving a little piece of heaven, you’ll never have to worry about the outcome again. Let’s get started!
Opt for Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is up to 10% molasses which will result in a chewier cookie because of the added moisture. However, it’s important to note that using brown sugar will result in a cookie that is slightly darker than a traditional sugar cookie.
A is for Almond
Extract, that is! In addition to your vanilla extract, add a few drops of almond extract to really kick up the flavor of your sugar cookies. Unless you’re allergic to almonds, in which case, skip this tip, you won’t regret it.
Chill Out
While chilling your dough isn’t totally necessary, it can be helpful, especially if you plan on using some kind of cookie cutter. The rule of thumb here is to base your chill time on how intricate your cookie cutter is; for instance, if you want round sugar cookies, you don’t have to chill dough for very long, but if you’ve got an intricately designed cookie cutter, you’ll want to wait until that dough is good and cold before you start working with it.
Easy Rollin’
When you go to roll your dough out, and this is a helpful hint for any cookie dough that needs to be rolled first, place your dough in between two sheets of wax paper, then roll. Once you’ve reached the desired thickness all you have to do is peel back the top layer of wax paper and start cutting your cookies and you have virtually no mess.
All at Once
If you’re cutting out multiple different shapes or using multiple cookie cutters, place them all on top of your rolled dough and press them down at the same time so your dough stays intact.
Easy on the Heat
One thing you don’t want to do? Overbake your sugar cookies. In fact, to avoid overbaking, try setting your oven slightly lower than what your recipe calls for, or simply don’t bake them as long. Once you notice the edges are turning brown even in the slightest, it’s time to pull your cookies out.
Add a Little Bit of Spice
Okay, well not spice, exactly. But if you plan on adding sugar sprinkles to your cookies, a personal favorite of ours, we recommend brushing the tops of your cookies with a little egg wash beforehand just to help the sprinkles adhere.