Sugar Cutout Cookie Recipe | What’s Cookin’ Italian Style Cuisine

Rich butter cookie cutouts, classic crispy cutouts, and even a shortcut using a store-bought cookie mix with additions, all will make the best Christmas cookie cutouts.

These soft buttery classic cookies are tender, rich, and perfectly shaped for festive cutters, making them a holiday favorite year after year.

With simple pantry ingredients and an easy-to-handle dough, this recipe is ideal for baking with kids, hosting cookie-decorating parties, or filling cookie tins everyone will rave about.

These butter cookie cutouts are not only a Christmas classic in our family,  but are made throughout the year for other holidays.

Simple, dependable, and irresistibly buttery, they’re the perfect bite of buttery bliss every time you eat one.

Whether you keep them traditional or decorate them extravagantly, this recipe will become a cherished part of your Christmas baking tradition year after year.

Whether you decorate them simply plain, with Royal icing or buttercream, sugar, powdered sugar, or sprinkles, these butter cookie cutouts always bake up beautifully.

Why You Will Love These Sugar Cookie Recipes

• Butter Flavor: True buttery flavor with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture
• Holds its shape: no spreading or distorted designs
• Simple Moldable Dough: Easy dough to work with, even for beginners 
• Versatile Icings:  Perfect for decorating with icing, glaze, or sanding sugar 
• Freeze for later Dough:  Make-ahead friendly for stress-free holiday baking
• Classic Vintage Cookie Memories:  Loved by all ages, from kids to grandparents

Cutout Suggestion (cookie-cutter themes)

• Halloween: ghosts, witches and bats, and spiders
• Christmas: Santa, trees, bells, stars, gingerbread man
• Easter: eggs, rabbits, chicks
• July 4th: stars, flags
• Thanksgiving: pumpkins, turkeys
• Valentine’s Day: hearts, doves, flowers

Dough Suggestions and Toppings

1. fold in 1/2 chocolate chips
2. sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar
3. add food coloring to the dough for a color-matched holiday theme divide half of it red and leave plain for candy canes, then twist the rolled dough together and bend the top into shape
4. dip them in white chocolate
5. frost with buttercream icing
6. use crushed candy canes on top for a garnish
7. cut out two small shot glass rounds and one large glass round to make Disney Micky Mouse Cookies

Tips for Making the Perfect Sugar Cookies

1. For really chewy cookies, roll in a ball and do not flatten. Bake until golden
2. For crispy cooking, bake longer until edges are nicely browned, and tops start to brown
3. For softer cookies, take them out while still golden in color
4. To reduce spreading while baking, place the cookie tray in the freezer for 20 minutes
5. Chill the dough well to keep edges crisp and defined
6. Don’t overbake—these cookies should stay pale and tender for richer buttery flavors
7. Roll evenly for consistent baking
8. Dip cutters in flour to prevent sticking
9. Decorate after cooling so the icing sets properly

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The Classic Sugar Cookie

If you were looking for the classic-tasting cookie you find in a bakery, this is it.

Thin and crispy, or high and chewy it all depends on the thickness and how long you bake them.

Roll into balls roll in sugar and flatten for thin, leave them in a ball for thick and chewy, it’s that simple.

sugar cookies, cutout cookies, classic sugar cookies

cookie recipes, sugar cookie recipes, cutout cookie recipes

American

Yield: 25

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

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Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies crisp on the outside with a chewy center. Just about any shape, you make for any holiday this is the perfect dough for cutouts!

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

• Classic Sugar Cookie Dough
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Butter Cookie Recipe (a softer cookie, all butter)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Directions for Classic Sugar Cookie Dough (crispy)
2. Use an electric mixer to cream together the sugar, shortening and butter until fluffy.
3. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and blend evenly.
4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and blend evenly.
5. Refrigerate for 3 hours covered.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Cut cookies to desired shapes.
8. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
9. Tip: for a perfectly shaped form, freeze the cookie sheet with cookies for 20 minutes before baking. This will hold their shape perfectly.
10. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until just begins to brown.
11. Cool, remove from the cookie sheet, and enjoy!
12. Directions for Butter Cookie Dough (soft buttery cookies)
13. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
14. Add the egg and vanilla using a heavy-duty mixer until a soft dough forms.
15. Chill at least 2 hours wrapped (or overnight) in the refrigerator.
16. Roll out 1/8 th of an inch thick cut into shapes.
17. Bake at 350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes, just until the edges are light and golden, not browned.
18. Cool and frost.
19. Royal Icing
20. Royal Icing is a hard-drying, smooth icing for Christmas Cookie Decorating
21. recipe Ingredients
22. 3 cups powdered sugar
23. 2 tablespoons meringue powder
24. 5 -6 tablespoons warm water
25. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional)
26. Gel food coloring (optional)
27. Directions
28. In a large bowl, blend using a whisk, blend the powdered sugar and meringue powder.
29. Stir 5 tablespoons of warm water and extract.
30. Using an electric high-powered mixer, beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until a shine and glossy stiff peaks form.
31. Adjust consistency by adding water (a few drops at a time) or if too runny, add more powdered sugar.
32. Divide and color icing as desired with food gel for your cookie projects if desired.
33. Butter Cream Frosting Recipe Below
34. 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
35. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
36. 2 cups powdered sugar
37. 3 tablespoons heavy cream
38. drops food coloring, optional
39. Garnish with sprinkled candies or other toppings of choice
40. In a hurry? Try out Sugar Cookie Cutouts Recipe using a Sugar Cookie Mix:
41. 1 pouch (17.5 oz) sugar cookie
42. Mix 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
43. 1/2 cup butter, melted
44. 1 egg
45. Mix all together, and cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
46. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
47. Cool completely before frosting.
48. Frost with homemade or canned frosting and enjoy!

Notes

Tips for Making the Perfect Sugar Cookies

1. for really chewy cookies roll in a ball and do not flatten bake until golden
2. for crispy cooking bake longer until edges are nicely browned and tops start to brown
3. for softer cookies take them out while still golden in color
4. to reduce spreading while baking place the cookie tray in the freeze for 20 minutes

Dough Suggestions and Toppings

1. fold in 1/2 chocolate chips
2. sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar
3. add food coloring to the dough for a color-matched holiday theme
4. dip them in white chocolate
5. frost with buttercream icing
6. use crushed candy canes on top for a garnish
7. cut out two small shot glass rounds and one large glass round to make Disney Micky Mouse Cookies

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