No Spread Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract; beat until well combined.
- Meanwhile, sift together flour and salt together in a medium bowl, . With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture until it just comes together. Do not overmix.
- Divide the cookie dough in half. Place one ball of dough on a lightly floured surface; it is best to work on a large piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat so that the cut out shapes are easy to move. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to desired thickness -- I like to make my cut-outs about ¼ inch thick.
- Use desired cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Using a spatula, carefully lift the cookie shapes onto the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are just set and the bottom edges are lightly golden
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies to cool while still on the pan, about 5-7 minutes. They will come out of the oven soft, but will harden and become easier to move and handle as they cool.
- Once easy to handle, place the cookies on a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
Notes
*This recipe made about 30 cookies about 3-4 inches in size. The yield will depend on size and shape of the cookie cutters.
Variations
Diet Specific Substitutions
- Flavored Cut Outs: Substitute ½ teaspoon almond, peppermint or coconut extract for vanilla.
- Chocolate Chip Cut Outs: Add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the dough.
- Citrus Cut Outs: Add 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest into the butter mixture to give them a citrusy twist.
- Fruity Cut Outs: dried fruit such as finely chopped dried cranberries or apricots.
- Sprinkle Cut Outs: Stir in some nonpareils or sprinkles for a colorful surprise.
- Spiced Cut Outs: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, pumpkin spice or a combination of your favorite spices to the flour for a lightly spiced cut out cookie.
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite one-to-one gluten free flour in place of regular flour.