Can You Recommend a Reliable Sugar Cookie Recipe? Good Questions

Q: Does anyone have a roll-out sugar cookie dough that isn't too sticky?

I would like to make some Valentine cut-out cookies for my daughter to take to school for a Valentine's Day party later this week and the lemon-studded dough I used yesterday was so sticky and moist (even AFTER refrigerating it at various points during the entire process) that after about only 1 dozen cookies that I gave up.

So frustrating! Can anyone help?

Sent by Rosie

Editor: Rosie, the recipe that I use almost exclusively for roll-out cookies is in this post:

• Recipe: Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

It's a very stiff dough, and after it has been refrigerated it is super easy to work with. The trade-off is that it's hard to roll out after it's chilled! But it holds its shape so well, and dusted with a little flour the cookie shapes come straight up and onto the cookie sheet. I've made this recipe many times with young children and even toddlers, and it was strong enough to hold up to kids rolling it out and cutting it up.

The recipe does make a huge lot of dough, however, so I suggest halving it, or else freezing portions of the dough.

One other Valentine's tip: Check out the Jewel Heart Cookies in this post — very pretty!

Readers, do you have other good suggestions for roll-out cookie recipes?

Next question?

(Image: Faith Durand)

Comments (22)

I recently used Martha Stewart's Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe. It was a very good dough, easy to work with and simple to make. Here's the link: http://www.marthastewart.com/article/essential-sugar-cookies

Did you refrigerate the dough overnight? That helps with getting the dough super stiff. Just pull off a scoop (about 1/2 cup worth) & make sure you are using a very dry, flour dusted work surface. Keep your rolling pin dusted. You may need to sprinkle flour onto the rolled out dough from time to time. And lift up the dough & flip it over before it gets too stuck to the counter. It may take a few tries, but don't give up!

I have a great one at home that features confectioner's sugar, cream of tartar, and almond flavoring. Not sticky. I'll try to remember to post it tonight.

I always use the recipe from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book. It is wonderful and not sticky at all. Refrigerating the dough is the key. I make sugar cookies all the time and never have problems.

I use a different recipe each time I make cut outs. But one thing I always do is use powdered sugar to roll my dough out on. It makes the cookies have a sugary crust on them. So good!!

Just sharing another tip:
I roll my dough between sheets of waxed paper before I chill it, then chill, then remove one side of the paper, cut all my shapes, lift the dough with one hand, and peel the backing paper off revealing the shapes. I have very little distortion of the cutouts using this method.

I tend to make a plain Linzer cookie dough because I find sugar cookies less crisp, and too sweet... However, my Linzer dough is perhaps too delicate for single cut-out cookies for school.

This dough is very close to my Linzer recipe because it uses powdered sugar... I find it makes the cookie taste more delicate.

http://www.bigoven.com/160672-Dutch-Sugar-Cookies---roll-out-recipe.html

This recipe came from the back of a box of Wilton brand cookie cutters, years ago. It's ridiculously easy, delicious, and reliable.

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
1 large egg
2 t baking powder
3 C flour (I've used white whole wheat flour with no problems)

Cream butter & sugar, add egg & vanilla. Mix baking powder & flour together and add, one cup at a time. (The recipe says to add a teaspoon of water if the dough is too stiff, but I've never had to.) DO NOT chill the dough. Roll, cut, and bake at 400 degrees for 6-7 minutes.

I used to use the Martha Stewart one, but found that at times it was too heavy or too crackly after refrigeration. My new go-to one is from King Arthur Flour - I find that adding 1 egg really helps keep it together. Even if you don't have the time to refrigerate it, it rolls (and re-rolls) beautifully
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/holiday-butter-cookies-recipe

I can attest to the "bestness" of the Best Sugar Cookie link above. I hate rolling out cookie dough, and even I can handle this one. My preschooler can roll and cut out cookies, too. I think it's the cream cheese that makes it thicker and more forgiving to work with, and it tastes great (for sugar cookies, which are not my fave).

this one is the best one I know and everyone always loves the cookies...

Basic Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
3. Roll out chilled dough on floured surface to about 1/8-inch thick and cut into desired shapes.
4. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on the sheets about 1 minute before moving to racks. Decorate as desired.

Will definitely try the King Arthur recipe as it is even closer to the Linzer dough (an egg yolk as opposed to a whole egg) and has Fiori di Sicilia -- a heavenly scent!

I would highly recommend Dorie Greenspan's Grandma's All Occasion Sugar Cookies from "Baking from My Home To Yours"-they are delicious!!!!!

I second Rucy's tip. Roll the dough out between sheets of waxed paper.

This also saves you from using too much flour for rolling and making the re-rolled dough too floury.

Check out this recipe on Second Floor Walkup - really simple and delicious!

Christmas Sugar Cookies

We make these, oh about twice a week!!! My kids use this recipe all the time for a basic cookie to do whatever else magical they want to with them... nothing fancy, nothing schmancy, just a basic cookie. They work for us.

http://www.se7en.org.za/2008/11/24/se7en-cookies-from-basic-cookie-dough

Look for a recipe that uses weight measurements rather than volume, and get yourself a scale. How you measure 1 cup of flour may be different than the recipe author. And the humidity of your house will make a difference as well.

You also may not have let the dough chill long enough (even though you stuck it in the fridge various times). My sister had this problem at Christmas time and we just stuck it back in the fridge and went shopping - 6 hours later, it was much better.

A marble slab for rolling the dough can also help. Keeping the dough cold - your hands are warm enough to melt the butter in it - is pertinent. Store the marble in the fridge, and make sure it is good and cold before you take it out to roll.

If you are using margarine, switch to butter. Margarine has a different ratio of water (even though it's got a higher melting temp) and can affect the formula.

I got this recipe from my mother years ago, just written on a recipe card, called Christmas Cookies. I have no idea of the original source. They're delicious.

Christmas Cookies

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond flavoring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

(The oven temp wasn't written, but I've done fine with 350°.)

Mix butter and sugar. Add egg & flavorings. Add dry ingredients.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Roll 3/16" thick on lightly floured cloth. Cut with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with sugar (or wait and decorate them after they're baked). Place on greased baking sheet. Bake 7–8 minutes.

[My own adaptation: I've been able to substitute spelt flour for half of the total, successfully.]