Buttery cut-out sugar cookies with tender centers and neat hearts and stars, ready for a simple pastel glaze.
Buttery cut-out sugar cookies with tender centers and neat hearts and stars, ready for a simple pastel glaze.
Before you begin, set out the measured ingredients, line the pans and check the portion size. Consistent thickness matters more than making every cookie look identical.
Use all-purpose flour rather than self-rising flour. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level without packing, or use the listed weight. A packed cup can turn a tender cookie into a dry one.
Bake a first tray as your guide. Home ovens and dark pans brown at different speeds, so use the surface and edges as well as the timer. Let the cookies cool before deciding whether they need a longer bake.
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Per tray: 9–12 minutes · Approximately 2 trays, up to 12 cookies per 13 × 18-inch half-sheet pan.
Allow 134 minutes: 30 active preparation, 60 chilling, 0 dough softening, 24 baking all trays sequentially, and 20 cooling including pan rest. Ingredient warm-up, optional icing and drying add time. Preheat during preparation or the final chilling minutes.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale or US measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl and silicone spatula
- Electric hand mixer
- 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Rolling pin with thickness guides
- 2½-inch cookie cutters
Buttery cut-out sugar cookies with tender centers and neat hearts and stars, ready for a simple pastel glaze.
Ingredients
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches. Keep piece size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Cookie dough
Optional glaze
Instructions
Mixing
- Make the doughBeat cool-soft butter with sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the egg or yolk and vanilla, scraping the bowl. Whisk the flour, salt and any leavener separately; add on low speed just until the dough comes together.
Thermal management
- Manage the doughDivide dough in half and roll each between lightly floured parchment sheets to ¼ inch thick. Stack the covered slabs flat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm. Cut shapes from the chilled slabs.
Shaping
- Shape evenlyCut chilled ¼-inch-thick dough with 2½–3-inch cutters and transfer carefully to parchment, leaving 2 inches apart. Keep similar shapes together on each tray. Re-roll scraps once.
Baking
- Bake one tray at a timePreheat to 350°F (175°C). Bake on the center rack for 9–12 minutes. Edges should be set and only lightly colored; centers must lose their wet sheen. Use cool pans for subsequent trays.
Cooling
- Let the crumb setRest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. Allow about 20 minutes total cooling before storing; the center firms as steam escapes.
Optional finishing
- Glaze cooled cookiesStir confectioners’ sugar, water and corn syrup until smooth. Add tiny drops of food coloring if desired. Spread a thin coat over fully cooled cookies. Let dry uncovered until the surface is firm before stacking; allow several hours beyond the recipe timing.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Roll before chilling
Rolling the soft dough into slabs makes the refrigerator do the firming work. This avoids struggling with a rock-hard ball and gives an even thickness.
Keep the portion consistent
Cut chilled ¼-inch-thick dough with 2½–3-inch cutters and transfer carefully to parchment, leaving 2 inches apart. Keep similar shapes together on each tray. Re-roll scraps once. Different thicknesses need different baking times; bake comparable pieces together.
Use the finish as your cue
Look for a set surface and lightly colored edges rather than a dark golden top. Overbaking dries the center; let the cookies finish setting on the pan.
Storage & Make-Ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely and seal in an airtight container. Keep unfrosted cookies separate from moist or strongly flavored treats. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Cover raw dough tightly. Refrigerating plain baked cookies is unnecessary and can dry them; let chilled dough become workable before shaping. |
| Freeze raw | Up to 2 months | Freeze cut shapes flat, then transfer to a sealed freezer bag. Bake from frozen and begin checking near the usual time; extra time may be needed. |
| Freeze baked | Up to 2 months | Freeze fully cooled, plain cookies in a sealed container with parchment between layers. |
| Restore | 30–60 minutes | Thaw baked cookies in their closed container at room temperature. For a freshly warmed plain cookie, use a 300°F oven for 2–3 minutes; cool briefly before serving. |
Notes
- Use the gram weights for the most consistent dough. Small leavener weights are approximate; measure teaspoons carefully. Egg weights exclude shells. Oven temperatures refer to a conventional oven. Yield varies with cutter shape. Re-roll scraps once to avoid tough cookies.
Nutrition
Estimated per plain cookie, calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24. Optional coating and decoration are excluded; brands and cookie size affect the estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A few helpful answers before you bake.
What texture should these cookies have?
Buttery cut-out sugar cookies with tender centers and neat hearts and stars, ready for a simple pastel glaze. Judge the final texture after cooling, not while the centers are warm.
Why do the cut-outs lose their shape?
Warm dough and hot pans soften the edges before they set. Cut from firm slabs, use a thin spatula, and keep the next slab refrigerated until needed.
Can I change the cookie size?
Yes, but the stated yield and baking window assume the portion size given in the shaping step. Separate smaller and larger cookies onto different trays and start checking smaller cookies earlier.
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