Basic Buttery Sugar Cookies

“Be inspired to create masterpieces from
your own kitchen”.

Basic Buttery Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies appears in many names. You have sugar cookies, butter cookies, sugar buttery cookies, buttery sugar cookies, etc. They are all, basically the same cookie. In the bakeshop, they're even called 1-2-3 cookie dough.

Because, no matter what name you give them, the ratio of butter to sugar to flour is basically the same. You have one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour. The balance of the two liquidfiers, your sugar and butter, must be equal to the stabilizer, your flour. The egg acts as an additional binder to this dough, and the salt and vanilla are your additional flavorings.

What it Can Taste Like

Regarding your flavoring extracts, you can substitute the vanilla with almond flavoring, lemon flavoring, lavender or rose flavoring. If you plan on icing the cookies, use the same extract in your icing that you used in the cookie dough.

Some sugar cookie recipes will add a leavening agent, like baking powder or baking soda. The purpose for leavener is to expand the dough. The use of leaveners will give you a soft cookie, with a little spread to it. But, if you are cutting out cookie shapes, you do not want a leavener, because you don't want your cookies to spread.

The recipe you'll find here, is the perfect recipe for cutting out cookie shapes, or for using as the base for for a creamy creamed cake. What makes this so perfect?

Well, it is because these cookies will hold the shape you cut or shape them in. Although not the end of the world, it can be annoying to have your cookies spread out of shape during baking.

There will not be a lot of mixing of this dough. You will not be incorporating any air when mixing the sugar with the butter. You are only going to mix your liquidfiers, the butter and sugar, only until they are combined. The same goes when adding the flour. Mix on low until the batter is smooth. Do not over mix.

This is butter and sugar that has been whipped until light and creamy.

Now, there's nothing wrong with whipping the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. That procedure, called the creaming method, is used when making chocolate chip, oatmeal, or peanut butter cookies.

The additional leavening makes your cookies airy, and gives you a beautiful spread. Developing gluten while mixing the flour in encourages just a little more chew in your cookie.

These jelly cookies are a perfect example of a light cookie. When preparing the batter for these, I used the creaming method.

I whipped up the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Even after adding the flour, I mixed the batter on medium speed for an additional minute.

This resulted in a soft dough that requires the dough to be cold in order to work with it.

This also resulted in some spreading during baking. With the extra air you've incorporated into your dough, these cookies will have a nice soft texture, similar to a dense cake slice. Like a 'cake cookie'. Also known as thumbprint cookies, the cookies can be prepared either way.

If you want the crumbly texture, don't whip the sugar and butter. And no additional whipping after adding the flour. You can see, with this formula you can achieve two difference textures to your cookie, determined by the Method of Preparation you choose to use.

Basic Buttery Sugar Cookie Recipe Below

But, remember, when you want to make cut out cookies, you don't want them spreading. You want those cookies to retain their shape during baking.

Therefore, only mix on low speed to lesson the incorporation of air and gluten development.

Two easy, basic uses for this Basic Buttery Sugar Cookie dough.

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are the traditional cookie recipe used for decorating. Fondant and royal icing are generally the icings of choice.

Traditionally, Christmastime is when these cookies become the most popular. But I have to tell you, there are some cookie artist out there on social media who have taken sugar cookie decorating to a whole new level. Proving that decorated sugar cookies are not just for the holidays anymore.

Creating the Dough

This recipe doesn't have a lot of ingredients. Ingredients you may already have.

Flour, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla.

Place the sugar, butter, eggs, & vanilla in mixing bowl.

Make sure all ingredients are room temperature.

Mix at low speed only until combined. Do not over whip. Do not whip it light and fluffy.

Add the fllour & mix only until the dough is smooth.
Do not overmix.

Wrap and Refrigerate

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, press & shape into a flat disc.

Cover in plastic wrap & refrigerate 30 minutes. Or until the dough is firm enough to work with. This dough can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. It freezes well, too. Up to three months, as long as it is wrapped well in plastic wrap, then zip locked.

Basic Buttery Sugar Cookie Recipe Below

Preparing the Dough

Of course, you know you'll need flour when rolling out your dough. Without it, the dough will stick to your surface. It is a real drag trying to lift the cut cookie dough from the surface it's sticking to.

You can be light with the flour, but make sure to use enough so that the dough will not stick to your surface

There is a foolproof way to roll dough without any sticking. You can either sandwich the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, or wax paper.

Wax paper is alright, but it absorbs oil. Parchment paper is the better tool. Even better, or most convenient, at least to me, is the silicone mat.

Rolling out the dough into an even thickness is important to consider. You want all of the cookies you cut out to have the same thickness. This matters, especially during baking, because even baking rules.

I love my pastry gadgets and perfecting strips are at the top of my list when I'm rolling dough. Perfecting Strips are used for rolling out consistently thick products for baking. Now you have yourself a wonderful tool to assist you when you need to achieve a thickness of 1/6", 1/18", or 1/4" This is where the silicone mat comes in the most handy. Just align the strips alongside the dough.

How Thick Do You Want It ?

When rolling your dough, use the thickness of 1/18" or 1/4" thick. Because you will be decorating these cookies with icing, and maybe candy, you need a strong cookie to support the weight. Think about it, a thin, crispy cookie could not handle run out icing. You will also have a cookie with a nice bite to it.

You Want Your Dough to Be Cold

Refrigerate the dough before cutting, because the cold dough will be your friend. You could even lay the whole sheet of dough onto your parchment lined cookie sheet.

Then, cut through the dough with your cookie cutter, leaving the cut dough on the sheet pan. Once your cutting is complete, just remove the dough scraps off the sheet pan. Now your cut cookie dough is ready for the oven.

Bake at 325° F. The purpose for baking at this temperature instead of baking at 350° F is to make sure that these cookies don't brown too fast.

This will allow you greater control over the browning of your cookie cut outs. The lower temperature allows the cookies to completely bake, which is technically drying them out.

Retaining their shape

This is what you want. This is what you're looking for when making cut out sugar cookies. No spreading. That's why the extra cup of flour. That's why there's no whipping. That's why there's no leavening.

At this point, the cookies are ready for decorating. Make sure the cookies have completely cooled before icing.

There are so many cookie cutter desings out there, it is easy to get carried away. But, I say go for it. Cookie decorating is such a fun activity. You can find yourself zoned out in the necessary details of design. So much so, that cookie decorating can actually become a great stress reducer.

Plus, the rewards from them are even more great. Everyone loves iced sugar cookies. They make great gifts. And don't forget, this is a wonderful, creative activity to do with the kids. I've done this with my own over the years every Christmas holiday season.

Basic Buttery Sugar Cookie Recipe Below

The Browning

There will be some browning. When you see the cookies began to brown around the edges, they're ready. Depending on the shape of your cookie, some parts of the cookie may brown earlier than other parts. Look at the edges of the cookies below to see what I mean. Be aware of your oven's hot spots. Rotate your cookie sheets, as necessary.

Slightly over browned.

Perfectly browned. Except for Florida's tan.

Allow the cookies to cool right there on that cookie sheet. The cookie sheet will be hot, so the carry over cooking will ensure the cookies dry completely. If you used parchment paper, or a silicone mat on your cookie sheet during baking, you will have no issue with your cookies sticking to the cookie sheet.

Don't worry about the cookies becoming too dry. They are very close to a shortbread cookie anyway. The icing decoration you will be putting on them will soften your cookies, giving you just the right 'bite' when eating them.

Now, Let's Decorate Them

The best part of these cookies is all in the decorating. Royal icing and fondant are a couple of choices you have when it comes to decorating your sugar cookies. Click on the link below for the perfect royal icing and complete ideas and inspiration.

Decorating Sugar Cookies

Now, if you want to make a cake

The Cookie Cake Base

The dense, crunchy, texture of a cookie base perfectly compliment the creaminess of a mousse cake, or cheese cake.

Most are familiar with using crushed graham cracker crumbs as a cake base. Like with the cheesecake, or a keylime pie.

Typically, variations of sponge cake is used as the foundation when making a mousse, or other creamed cake. However, a cookie bottom can also serve the same function. So, instead of a sponge cake base, opt for a cookie base instead.

In fact, you can use just about any cookie recipe as a base for your cake. Chocolate chip, peanut butter. This recipe is extremely versatile, because many variations can be added to the recipe. Get creative. Have fun.

How to Prepare a Cake Bottom

Roll the dough 1/4" thick, making it about the size of the cookie sheet. This recipe will yield you either two 8" round cookie bases. You can make two 8" round cakes with this.

It may even be possible to get two 10" round bases from this recipe, if the dough is rolled thin, to about 1/18" thick. Maybe. But, a one 10" for sure.

Once dough is evenly a 1/4" thick, roll it up with your rolling pin & place it on a sheet pan. Here, you can see that I rolled my dough over a silicone mat on my work surface.

Then I lifted the mat onto a cookie sheet. Refrigerate your dough to allow it to harden. The butter in the dough will harden it, making it easier to cut out your template. 30 minutes to an hour.

Place your template on top of the dough and cut around the outer edge. The reason why you cut the base right from the cookie sheet is an important one.

If you cut the template from your work surface, you will risk the dough becoming misshaped
during the process of picking up the raw dough to place it on the baking sheet.

Cutting out the base right from the baking sheet eliminates any issue of dough stretching out of shape.

Remove the leftover dough. This recipe yields enough to make two 1/4" thick, 8" round cake bases.

You might be tempted to roll it thinner, to get more out of your dough, but be careful. A thinner cookie base may not be a good enough support for your creamed cake.

Prick the dough with a fork. This allow any steam to escape during baking. Steam can act as a leavener , and we don't want that.

Bake at 325°F, 10 to 15 minutes. The low baking applies here just as it does for cut out sugar cookies. Even more so because this is a bigger and thicker cookie. That's why it bakes 5 minutes longer.

There are some occasions when your cookie may spread, even if just a little. When that happens, just trim the cookie bottom. Use your baking pan as your template.

Cake Bottoms

Preparation

Roll the dough 1/8" thick, about the size of the cookie sheet. Use only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, moving the dough, during rolling, to make sure dough is not sticking to the rolling surface
Once dough is 1/8" thick, roll it up with your rolling pin & place it on a sheet pan, covered with parchment paper.
Place your template on top of the dough, & cut around the outer edge. Remove the leftover dough. .
Lightly prick the dough with a fork.
Bake at 325°F, 10 to 15 minutes.
Once cookie bottom has cooled, it is now ready to support your cake.

Tips

The template can be what ever size, or shape cake pan, cake ring, or template .
Do not cut out the dough prior to placing on the sheet pan, or else you could risk stretching it, distorting the shape from the circle you want to a loopy oval one.
You prick the dough to allow any trapped to escape.
Once cookie bottom has cooled, it can be used as the foundation for a mousse cake, or torte.Store by wrapping in plastice up to 3 days.

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Let's Start Baking

Buttery Sugar Cookies Recipe
Yield 3 dozen cookies 2 8" round cookie bases

Ingredients	Amounts
Sugar	1 cup
Butter	1 cup
All purpose flour	3 cups
Egg, whole	1
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoon

Preparation

Place the sugar, butter, eggs, & vanilla in mixing bowl.

Mix at low speed until combined.

Add the fllour & mix only until the dough is smooth. Do not overmix.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, press & shape into a flat disc.

Cover in plastic wrap & refrigerate 30 minutes. Or until the dough is firm enough to work with.

Roll the dough and cut out dough according to your recipe.
Bake cookies in the oven at 325 ° F
Tips for Rolling Out Dough: See Above