Simple Sugar or Butter Cookies recipe

What are some of the desserts of your childhood?

I of course had the obligatory Little Debbie’s brownies and oatmeal cookies while also happily indulging in Hostess pies and cupcakes. But I also remember giddily opening up a round blue tin of Danish? butter cookies around the holidays and of course reaching straight for my favorite shape (swirly cookies please!) I rediscovered my love for sugar cookies a few months ago when I was thinking about a gift to give all my baby shower attendees. Sugar cookies can be cut into a variety of fun shapes and iced with reckless abandon. I love how they can be made for any holiday and ended up giving heart cookies to my lovely friends (and ninja for the kids!) While I didn’t ice my cookies, I did add some lemon zest to bring an extra pop of flavor.

I just met a new friend who gifted me a few Christmas inspired sugar cookies and these classic cookies inspire me to bake more for the holidays!

Table of Contents

Sugar or butter cookies

Adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest from 1/2 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Tools: Wax paper, rolling pin, cookie cutters

Note: Wax paper is key for rolling out these cookies! I tried rolling it without wax paper and the dough kept sticking to the cutting board.

Servings

About 36-40 2 1/2″ cookies

Preparation

1. Combine or sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

2. Mix together butter and sugar until softened.

3. Add egg, milk, lemon zest and vanilla to butter mixture until all ingredients are incorporated. Slowly fold in flour mixture and keep mixing until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

4. Divide two into two and wrap in wax paper. Put dough into refrigerator and allow to rest for two hours.

5. Pre-heat oven to 375 F.

6. Take out one piece of dough from refrigerator and divide into half. Dust rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll dough to about 1/4″ thickness (for me, this was half the length of a nail). When dough is evenly rolled, cut dough into desired shapes and place onto cookie sheet.

7. Bake for about 8-12 minutes until dough is desired color (I like them slightly more golden brown).