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Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 143 reviews

These Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are tender, buttery, and perfect for decorating with royal icing. Made with simple ingredients and a melt-in-your-mouth texture, they are chilled and rolled before baking at a moderate temperature for soft, chewy perfection. The accompanying royal icing is made from dried egg whites and lemon juice, ideal for decorating with precision or flooding to create beautiful designs.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 2 ½ cups flour (see note)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Royal Icing

  • 1 box powdered sugar (1 lb / 454g)
  • 6 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (juice from approximately 2 medium lemons, 85g)
  • ¼ cup dried egg whites (or meringue powder 22g)

Simple Icing

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3–5 teaspoons milk (as needed for desired consistency)

Instructions

  1. Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
  2. Prepare wet ingredients: In another large bowl, melt the butter just until melted but not hot. Whisk in the sugar, then the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until fully emulsified with no streaks visible.
  3. Combine dry and wet mixtures: Slowly stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. The dough will appear dry initially.
  4. Finish dough by hand: Squeeze and knead the dough together by hand to incorporate the flour without developing too much gluten for tenderness.
  5. Roll out dough: Roll the dough at room temperature to about ¼ inch thickness, preferably between two sheets of parchment paper, or lightly floured surface.
  6. Chill dough: Refrigerate the rolled dough for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours or overnight, to relax gluten and make cutting easier.
  7. Preheat oven & prepare baking sheets: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F convection or 350°F conventional. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Cut cookies: Remove parchment from both sides of dough, then cut shapes with a lightly floured cookie cutter. Chill cut cookies for about 20 minutes before baking.
  9. Bake cookies: Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes until the centers look matte with small cracks and edges begin to brown slightly. Bake the same shapes on one sheet to ensure even baking.
  10. Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
  11. Make royal icing: In a large bowl or stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine dried egg whites and lemon juice. Whisk until soft peaks form.
  12. Add powdered sugar: Add all the powdered sugar and whisk until thoroughly combined.
  13. Color and adjust icing consistency: Separate icing into bowls and add food coloring as desired. Monitor consistency closely to avoid thinning the icing too much.
  14. Ribbon test for outlining icing: Icing should cascade slowly off your spatula and remain visible on the surface for about 5-6 seconds before disappearing.
  15. Ribbon test for flooding icing: Icing should cascade off spatula and almost instantly disappear into the rest of the icing for flooding application.
  16. Make simple icing: Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together, adding milk gradually until icing flows from the whisk but briefly holds a line on top.

Notes

  • Flour quantity and type affects cookie texture; use all-purpose flour for best results.
  • Melting butter gently avoids cooking the egg when combined.
  • Chilling dough is crucial for clean cookie cuts and preventing spreading during baking.
  • Use parchment paper for rolling and baking to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
  • Control icing consistency carefully for perfect decorating results.

Keywords: sugar cookies, cut-out cookies, royal icing, soft cookies, holiday cookies, baking, cookie decorating

Find it online: https://thedishspot.com/soft-cut-out-sugar-cookies-recipe/