Alton Brown’s cutout sugar cookie recipe makes the ultimate bakery-style cookies that are thick, buttery, and tender.
With just a few basic ingredients like all-purpose flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, egg and milk, these cookies are easy to whip up. With the variety of cookie cutters available today means you can enjoy these treats year-round and for any occasion.Â
The cutout cookie can be decorated with frosting or left plain. If left plain, try adding a hint of orange zest, almond or vanilla extract for an extra burst of flavor. This is my favorite for cutout sugar cookie recipe and it gets requested every year.
Optional flavors for Cutout Sugar Cookies
Zest of an orange 1-3 tablespoons, 1 teaspoon of either almond or vanilla extract
Tips for making cutout cookies:
- Use real butter and bring it to room temperature before adding
- Chill the cookie dough before rolling out
- Be careful not to over-mix the dough
- Avoid re-rolling the dough too many times
- Use heavy-gauge aluminum baking sheets
- Use powdered sugar vs flour to keep cookie dough from sticking when rolling out
- Allow enough room between cookies on baking sheet
- Use the correct oven temperature
- Allow cookies time to cool before removing from the cookie sheet
Try some of our other recipes:
If you like our Christmas Cutout recipe, please let us know by commenting or star rating it. We always appreciate hearing from you. Plus the star ratings helps us develop our website through google search. Thanks ~ Karol
Adapted from Alton Brown
Alton Brown’s Easy Christmas Cutout Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
- powdered sugar, for rolling dough
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Instructions
- Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl beat the egg until light in color. Add the milk to the egg and mix to combine.
- On low speed of an electric mixer, add in the flour and mix until dough pulls away form the side of the bowl. Divide dough in half and wrap each one n waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Dust the surface where you will roll out the dough with powdered sugar, roll dough 1/4 thick. Cut into shapes, place 1-inch apart onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Let cookies sit for 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
- Serve as is or frost if desired.
Powdered Sugar Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar2-3+ tablespoons heavy cream or milk (depending on the thickness you desire.)1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractpinch of saltIn a medium bowl, combine all four ingredients. stir well until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Adjust consistency, if it is too thick add a free drops of cream or milk to thin. If too thin and in more powdered sugar.
