Sugar Cookie Recipe

• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
• ¼ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine room temperature (not melted) butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and combine.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt. This is an important step; you want to avoid lumps in your dough.

Slowly add dry ingredients into wet batter until fully incorporated.

Drop dough onto a large piece of saran wrap, mold it into a 4×4 square, and refrigerate for at least one hour. I often let mine sit overnight.

When ready to bake the cookies, generously flour a flat surface and roll out the dough. You can use as much flour as you need! I prefer to make cookies about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick, but you can go thicker and still have successful results.

For best results, bake on silpat or parchment paper. You can reuse parchment, too!

Bake at 325-350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. In my oven, right about 6 minutes yields a perfectly cooked cookie, with no brown edges.

Comments

[Kate]

Can I use waxed paper instead of parchment?

[Amanda Rettke]

I dont think so... (please tell me if I am wrong) but I think wax paper can burn! You can just bake directly on the pan if you want...just keep a close eye on your cookies!!

Have a blessed day Kate!

[ElizaBeth]

Waxed paper will "melt" and burn in the oven. A lesson I learned the hard way when I was first finding my way around the kitchen.

[brianna]

Stop using flour to roll them out with, i promise! try powdered sugar instead, soooooo much better. the flour makes them tough!

[Brittany]

Can you freeze the sugar cookies?

[Kelly G]

@Brittany: Yes, sugar cookie dough freezes beautifully! Just wrap it up tight. in freezer bags or plastic wrap. Then when you're ready to bake, pull it out and let it thaw for a couple of hours in the fridge. I do this all the time. Make up several batches of dough and bake some, then freeze the rest. Love your site Amanda!

[Rachel Watters]

How many cookies does this recipe yield?

[Jeanette Anderson]

This is the best sugar cookie recipe that I have tried, and I feel like I have been searching for a long time. Thanks for sharing your talent, ideas, and recipes.

[carolina]

I have been searching for a great sugar cookie recipe and this one looks interesting and I think I´ll give it a try..but i was wondering..I also saw that you have another sugar cookie recipe called amanda´s amazing sugar cookies and i was wondering which of the two do you prefer...or which do you recommend I use?

[Heather]

Yum! Yum! Yum! I made these cookies for the 4th of July and cut out stars! Everyone said how wonderful these cookies tasted! Thanks so much for this delicious recipe! I loved how my cutout cookies kept their shape! Can't wait to make more!

[Elizabeth]

Thanks so much for this recipe! I used this for my mother's day cookies (using YOUR cookie jar idea- the moms loved it!!) My husband said it was the best sugar cookies I'd ever made! I'm using them again for our daughter's birthday party!

[rams]

Amanda...i want to bake a huge batch of sugar cookies. Can you please tell me how early i can prepare the dough and store it in the freezer? Is it okaty if i bake and freeze them...Does they hold their shape when i thaw?//Please help me.

[madeleine]

Can you use a cookie press with this recipe?? I can't wait to make them again, we used the Cookie Jar idea as well! It turned out amazing and the cookies were SO DELICIOUS!

[susan]

how many three inch cookies will this recipe make?

[Nina]

What is cream of tartar? It isn't commonly used over here in The Netherlands and your cookies look great so I want to give it a try, but cannot find a store that sells it :(

[NelsonTurf]

I love the recipe...I got 12, 1/2 inch thick, heart cookies out of it. I was using a relatively large cookie cutter though...probably 4 inches. Made beautiful cookies that tasted delicious. Hands down the best recipe I have ever tried...I'm going to call my mom and introduce her to something to replace her old recipe with.

I have a double batch waiting in the fridge right now for me to make some more. :) Oh, and I'm at a high altitude and the recipe didn't need any adjusting. :)

[jojo]

Hi ... How long can you keep these iced sugar cookies ( considering the icing has milk ) and how do I store them?

[MAGGIE PALACIOS]

I USE WAX PAPER AND IT DOSENT BURN!!!
YOU COULD SEE MY COOKIES IN FACEBOOK: THE PALET AND IN:
http://dreamers.marthastewart.com/profile/MaggiePalacios

TRAIT!!!

[Anu Menon]

hi
i am making the dough right now and i see that mine is pretty wet(not the flowing type) and sticky after i mix it up. will it get harder when i keep itin the fridge?
please help!!!

[Kimberly Temple]

I'm having the same issue as Anu, my dough is still wet. I'll stick it in the fridge for a while and hope it hardens up, I have some Doctor Who cookies in mind, and I'd like to finish those up soon! :D Thanks for the recipe. :D

[Amanda Rettke]

I would add more Flour ladies... you can add as much as you need... I have even had to add about a cup more depending on the circumstances. :)

[Kimberly Temple]

I assumed as much! But thanks for the reassurance! :D

[Suzanne]

What is the purpose of the cream of tartar in this recipe? J.ust looking to see what I can sub it for cuz I don't have any.

[Not a skinny cook]

I usually use cream of tartar when beating egg whites as a stabilizing agent. It also can help prevent the crystallization of cooked sugar in recipes as well. Cream of tartar has been known to make dough creamier too. I have not tried this recipe without it though (only with it). I may need to do a comparison to see if it makes a difference. As for not finding cream of tartar, I'm sure you can always find it online somewhere.

[Caroline]

Just found this site and am absolutely loving it....thanks Amanda.

[Ragina]

Hi Amanda
I'm going to make your sugar cookie recipe for my grandaughters 1st birthday in July...........I made them for the baby shower last year and they were a hit, do you have any suggestions for a decoration to do, an easy one please! I wish I could do George the monkey!

[Barb]

love your blog, just discovered it from Pioneer lady. Love family friendly sites. Another great site i have found that is a great family one is: http://www.lighthouseexplorations.com/

also do you have a print button. I would like to print this sugar cookie recipe.

[Erin]

Hi Amanda

Just wondering, how long will cooked cookies last for in an airtight container?

I've just made a batch of dough and don't know if I should cook it now or later this week.

Thanks!

[anickh]

which sugar cookie recipe do you like better? this one or "amandas amazing sugar cookies" and if u like the other one best, then what is this one for? do u have pictures of cookies made by this recipe?

[cherylene]

Erin, I've made my cookies then freezed them, just pull out the made ones anytime you want to frost a batch. You can also frost and freeze, I have had no problems with it at all.