Every Christmas it is our tradition to make sugar cookies. My son loves to decorate them and we all like to eat them. This year we made Thanksgiving cookies and I thought it was a good time to share an easy sugar cookie recipe that I’ve used for years now. Thanks to In Katrina’s Kitchen. I love this sugar cookie dough recipe because it does not need to be refrigerated! It is also very simple, the cookies are SOFT, and they are great for decorating!

Best Sugar Cookies Ever!

• No need to chill and NO SHORTENING
• Holds it shape and does not expand much when baking
• Great for decorating
• Very soft and delicious
• Can easily double recipe (but the recipe as is makes a lot of cookies!)

When adding in the last batch of flour my dough because very dry and crumbly. I wet my hands and continued to work it (adding more small amounts of water) until it because the perfect dough. So don’t be afraid if yours gets crumbly too (despite what you read when you google it!). A little water will fix it! Also if you prefer a crispier sugar cookie just leave them in the oven a bit longer. 

I think Katrina has perfected the sugar cookie! At least for me. Mainly because I do not need to use shortening or chill for hours in the refrigerator. And they also taste fantastic. I love the flavor the almond extract brings as well! 

FAQ (most are courtesy of In Katrina’s Kitchen): 

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT STICKY AND/OR CRUMBLY DOUGH?

• The completed dough should have a texture close to Play-Doh. Wet your hands if you need to. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Don’t be afraid to use more flour and incorporate it in while you are “kneading” it into a smooth ball.
• Forget everything you know about sugar cookie dough. Don’t be afraid of sprinkling more flour as you roll it out. Use the scraps! Mix them back into the unused dough and keep going.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT DRY DOUGH:

• Ignore what you read on the internet! Get your hands wet and sprinkle in some water and starting kneading the dough again. Keep adding water until you get that desired “Play-Doh” texture. 

CAN I CHILL THE DOUGH? I NEED TO MAKE THIS A FEW DAYS IN ADVANCE, IS THAT OKAY?

• If you need to make the dough in advance you can chill it. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling and cutting. You may need to use more flour on the countertop.

THE COOKIES LOOK UNDER-BAKED. CAN I BAKE THEM LONGER?

• I almost always suggest pulling out these cookies and the 8-9 minute mark. They will continue baking on the cookie sheet for a few minutes while they cool and set. After cooling for about 5 minutes I use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.

Happy Baking! 

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Best and Easiest Sugar Cookies - No refrigeration needed!

Soft sugar cookie recipe that keeps its shape and does not expand much when baking. No need to chill dough!! Perfect cookies every time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth. At least 3 minutes.
3. Beat in extracts and egg.
4. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingrdients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
5. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to ¼ inch rather ⅛).
6. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

If you must chill the dough just leave it on the counter top for 10 minutes before rolling or work the dough with your hands for a few minutes.
You can omit the almond extract if you do not have it available, however the taste is really fantastic with the hint of almond.
Keep in mind that the recipe yield will vary according to how thick you roll your cookies and how large or small your cutters are.
Bake for 6 minutes to test. They should be soft. Leave them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cool completely. If you reach 7-8 minutes and the edges turn brown your cookie will be crisper.
Recipe courtesy of In Katrina's Kitchen. Thank you!!

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