American Sugar Cookies

Votes: 2

Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Complexity: easily
Quantity: 60 cookies

Sugar cookies in the shape of cute little figures are a favorite among both adults and children. They can be decorated however you like, making them perfect for the holidays. The simple sugar cookie dough is made with just eggs, flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla extract—all ingredients readily available in almost any kitchen. However, if you'd like, you can decorate these basic cookies not only on the outside but also on the inside, filling them with a variety of interesting flavors. At the end of the recipe, you'll find several filling options: walnut and orange, pecan and cinnamon, and almond. You'll need just a couple of extra ingredients for each, and the cookies will sparkle with a whole new range of flavors.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Cookie

1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
220 g unsalted butter, slightly softened
0.5 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups premium flour + more as needed

Decoration

1 cup powdered sugar
About 1 tbsp. milk
Food coloring (optional)
Colored sprinkles, candies, decorative sugar (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: premium flour, eggs, milk, powdered sugar

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

In a small bowl, beat the egg with vanilla extract.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, add the sugar and powdered sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again if necessary, then add the egg mixture and beat for about 1 minute. Sift together the flour and salt. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together, without over-beating.
Remove the dough from the bowl. Divide it in half and place each half between two sheets of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 0.5 cm. Place it directly on the parchment paper on a flat baking sheet or on the back of a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Evenly space oven racks and preheat to 325°F (160°C). Place 1 sheet of cookie dough on a clean work surface and remove the top sheet of parchment paper. Using a 4cm cookie cutter, cut out shapes directly on the parchment paper. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Repeat with the other sheet of dough. Gather any excess dough, roll it out again, and cut out shapes.

Flavor options:

Walnut and orange: add 3/4 teaspoon of grated orange zest along with the sugar, and 2/3 cup of finely chopped walnuts along with the flour.

Pecan and cinnamonMix 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with flour and add 2/3 cup of finely chopped pecans along with the flour. Before baking, sprinkle the cookies with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

AlmondReduce the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon and add 0.5 teaspoon pure almond extract. Stir 3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds into the dough along with the flour. If desired, brush the tops of the pastry figures with a little egg white and garnish with slivered almonds before baking.
Bake until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Painting with sugar icing

Mix powdered sugar with enough milk to make a thick glaze. Transfer the glaze to a small plastic bag. Press it into the corner of the bag and snip the corner with scissors to create a small opening. Carefully pipe the glaze onto the cookies to create the desired pattern. Set aside for about 1 hour to allow the glaze to harden. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week..