Just about every year I try a new sugar cookie recipe in my quest to find the BEST sugar cookie recipe. Sometimes they are shortbread. Occasionally the dough needs to be refrigerated. Sometimes there’s a ton of butter. But every year, I give up and eventually make my mom’s favorite. Her sugar cookie recipe is from the Betty Crocker cookbook. It’s the one that never fails. Regardless of this tried and true recipe, I always search for another that is easier and better and tastier. And I think I found it this year!

The Best Sugar Cookies

This recipe is from TwoSistersBaking.com. It is really the BEST sugar cookie recipe I have found!

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 8

Servings 3 dozen

Equipment

mixer
baking trays lined with parchment paper
spatula and measuring cups and spoons
rolling pin and cookie cutters

Ingredients

2 cups Sweet Cream Salted Butter (softened)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp vanilla extract
4 tsp baking powder
6 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Add the 4 sticks (2 cups) of butter and 2 cups of white sugar to your mixer. The butter needs to be softened but still cold. A prime culprit for dry sugar cookie dough is butter that is too warm and soft.
Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed (3 minutes on medium-high should do the trick.)
Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla and 2 eggs.
Mix the cookie dough until light and fluffy (about 3 more minutes.)
Add 4 teaspoons of Baking Powder and mix.
Mix in the 6 cups of flour two cups at a time. Don't over-mix the dough
After you have added the 6 cups of Flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly. If the dough seems to dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk (start with a teaspoon) and mix again.
Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until it's about 3/8" thick.
Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
Bake in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie cutter you used. Do not over-bake! If you make your cookies on the thick side , you should cook them 9-10 minutes. If you roll out thinner cookies, or use smaller cookie cutters than the ones we have used here, you should only bake the cookies 6 or 7 minutes.
Let your cookies cool and then they are ready for frosting.

Keyword best sugar cookie, christmas cookies, sugar cookies

I Found it on Pinterest!

This recipe was found on Pinterest from Two Sisters. I was particularly impressed with the time they took to explain the importance of butter to the recipe. And if it is possible, I believe I have found the perfect sugar cookie recipe. This is my new favorite recipe. The dough is manageable and not sticky or crumbly. This is important for a sugar cookie. It’s a nightmare when you’ve painstakingly followed the recipe only to have the dough ripping and sticking to your rolling pin. That’s the worst. And that did not happen with this recipe! Nor did I have to chill the dough. I don’t mind chilling the dough. But if I’m ready to make cookies, I want to keep the process moving and not delay for 3-6 hours while the dough cools. Alot can happen in my household in 3-6 hours. If we are baking cookies, we need to get at it now!

And so, I crown this the BEST sugar cookie recipe ever!

Mixing was easy.