The Best Classic Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are classic and sweet (like you , dear reader!). The dough can be used easily for cutout cookies. Serve (and eat) them plain, with sprinkles, or topped with icing. That’s beauty of this cookie-it is simple yet versatile!

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Confectioners’ Sugar

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) and beat until light in color. 
3. Add egg and milk, and beat until combined. 
4. While mixing on low speed, add flour gradually, and beat until mixture forms into a dough. 
5. Wrap dough in wax paper, and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Grease baking sheets with butter or nonstick cooking spray. 
8. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on work surface 
9. Remove dough from refrigerator.
10. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on rolling pin, and roll out dough (being careful that it does not stick to the bottom of the rolling pin) to ¼ inch thickness.  Cut into desired shapes, and place an inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
11. Bake for 7-9 minutes (until cookies are lightly browned around the edges). 
12. Let cool for 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire cooling rack. 

Print Recipe

The Best Classic Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are classic and sweet.

Course: Dessert

Equipment

• Oven

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Confectioners’ Sugar

Instructions

• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) and beat until light in color. 
• Add egg and milk, and beat until combined. 
• While mixing on low speed, add flour gradually, and beat until mixture forms into a dough. 
• Wrap dough in wax paper, and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Grease baking sheets with butter or nonstick cooking spray. 
• Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on work surface 
• Remove dough from refrigerator.
• Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on rolling pin, and roll out dough (being careful that it does not stick to the bottom of the rolling pin) to ¼ inch thickness.  Cut into desired shapes, and place an inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 7-9 minutes (until cookies are lightly browned around the edges). 
• Let cool for 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire cooling rack.