Basic Sugar Cookie Dough From Good Housekeeping Recipes

BASIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch thick. Use 3-inch floured cutters to cut out cookies, and transfer to two parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Reroll scraps as needed, chilling as needed until firm before rolling and cutting again. Freeze until very firm, about 10 minutes.
• Bake until golden brown at the edges, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or frozen up to 3 months.

THE BEST ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'S CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. On high speed, beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On low speed, beat in eggs and vanilla, then flour mixture just until blended, scraping bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough to scant 1/4-inch thickness; keep remaining dough cold. With floured 3- to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.
• When cookies are cool, prepare frosting and decorate cookies. Allow frosting to dry. Store cookies in tightly sealed containers with waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.

EASY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

BASIC SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH FROM GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Steps:

• On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar 1 minute or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. **This recipe calls for butter with no substitutions because the butter not only gives the best flavor, but also makes the dough more manageable. Margarines and spreads are too soft to produce a dough that can be rolled easily.
• Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling.
• Heat oven to 400*.
• Lightly flour your rolling surface, roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time. Keep remaining dough refrigerated.
• Place cut cookies about an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 5 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Remove immediately from cookie sheets place onto cooling racks.

BASIC SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (1 to 2 minutes). Add egg and vanilla and continue beating until mixture looks smooth (2 minutes). Incorporate flour and salt into butter mixture in low speed. Scrape down sides if bowl. Shape into 2 disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Roll out, cut into desired shapes and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven on lightly greased cookie sheets for 8 to 10 minutes.

BASIC SUGAR-COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt; mix on medium speed until combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour in 2 batches, mixing just until incorporated.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Place each on a piece of plastic wrap; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.