Grandma's Classic Sugar Cookies

Classic Sugar Cookies

 joshblake/Getty Images 

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings

This wonderful recipe for sugar cookies is a classic. It should be part of your Christmas cookie platter every year.

Chilling cookie dough is an important step that most recipes leave out. During the time in the fridge, the gluten in the flour relaxes, so the cookies will be more tender. And the flavors can grow and develop in the dough. Don't skip this step for best results. You can even make the dough a few weeks ahead of time and freeze it. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

And remember to measure flour correctly. One of the biggest mistakes bakers make is to add too much flour to cookie dough. Use a scale for best results; one cup of flour should weigh 120 to 125 grams.

To make them into Christmas cookies, frost them with any buttercream frosting tinted with food coloring, and decorate using edible glitter, nonpareils, and sprinkles. And don't be afraid to frost them with chocolate or peanut butter or caramel frosting! One of the best things about these cookies (aside from the taste) is how versatile they are.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and light; this should take about 5 minutes with an electric mixer, or 10 minutes by hand. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well.

  2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture alternately to the butter and sugar mixture with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

  3. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. (If  the dough is chilled overnight, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling out so that task is easier.)

  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough using a floured rolling pin to about 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.

  5. Or you can roll the dough into 1" balls, place on cookie sheets and flatten with the bottom of a water glass dipped in sugar.

  6. Bake the cookies on ungreased cookie sheets for 7 to 10 minutes until they are very ​lightly golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for about a minute, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
258 Calories
18g Fat
23g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 258
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 234mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Protein 3g
Calcium 67mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)