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    You are Here: Masala Herb » Recipes » RECIPES

    Homemade Sugar Cookies with Simple Glaze

    Published: Nov 27, 2019 · Modified: Dec 9, 2022 by Helene Dsouza

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    Helene Dsouza
    The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe with quick icing to decorate your Christmas cookies.
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Cooling Time: 30 minutes
    50 cookies
    4.79 from 23 votes
    Jump to Recipe
    sugar cookies in tree and star shape
    cut out sugar cookies

    I show you how to make sugar cookies from scratch in this post.

    The cookie dough is easy to roll out and the cut out cookies will hold their shape when baked.

    I also show you how you can make icing sugar within minutes to decorate your cookies beautifully.

    christmas tree and star cookies
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    I created my own sugar cookie dough in the past years.

    The recipe was loosely adapted from my shortcrust pastry dough, which I use to make cookies such as the Austrian Linzer Cookies.

    The cookies turn out soft and I like to make a batch for family and friends during the holidays.

    Let's make the BEST Sugar Cookies for Christmas!

    Jump to:
    • 🥚 Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make the dough?
    • ❔ How to roll out?
    • 🎊 How to decorate?
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 👁️ More Christmas cut out cookies
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🥚 Ingredients

    Add the following cookie dough ingredients to your shopping list to make homemade sugar cookies.

    • Butter (not margarine please)
    • Powdered Sugar
    • Egg
    • Vanilla Extract
    • All-Purpose Flour
    • Salt
    • Baking Powder (not baking soda!)

    Instead of baking powder, you can mix together baking soda with cream of tartar, but don't use baking soda alone because the result will be a different one.

    baked sugar cookies before decoration

    For the easy Icing Sugar (which is optional)

    • Powder Sugar
    • Lemon Juice
    • Sugar sprinkles to decorate

    Lemon Juice can be substitute with tap water or vodka/rum etc.

    Read up the complete recipe with video instructions at the bottom of this post.

    easy sugar cookies with decoration ideas

    🔪 How to make the dough?

    Simple sugar cookies should be easily prepared at home, especially if you intend to make them with kids.

    I thought it was about time that I share my recipe after I had received some requests for a dough that was easy to cut out with shapes.

    I explain the steps here so that you can easily follow along, but the complete recipe card is at the bottom of this post.

    I also suggest that you watch my video in the recipe card further below.

    Step 1

    Combine the dry ingredients. The all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder.

    flour and baking powder

    Step 2

    In another mixing bowl add the butter and powdered sugar. Beat to a fluffy and smooth consistency.

    butter and sugar

    Continue to add in the vanilla extract and egg. Combine the ingredients.

    fluffy beaten butter and egg

    At last add in the dry ingredients with the flour, a batch at a time while the dough is getting formed.

    flour to butter

    Step 3

    After you have added all the ingredients and your dough is well mixed, collect the dough and place it on a cling film.

    Wrap cling film around the dough and keep the dough to cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, so that it gets hard to roll out.

    shape dough

    ❔ How to roll out?

    Prepare a clean place in your kitchen where you can roll out your dough evenly.

    Flour the surface and keep always some flour at the side, which you can use if need be.

    Unwrap your dough and discard used cling film.

    Flour your dough well and start rolling over it so that it gets stretched.

    roll out cold dough

    Gradually roll your dough out while you keep on flouring your working surface and the dough.

    This is important or else your dough will start to stick, which can get frustrating.

    Don't waste too much time and work swiftly because the butter in the dough will get soft after a while.

    I take at least 5- 10 minutes to roll out, just so that you can compare but I make sure that the room I'm working in is not too hot.

    Roll out your dough to about 3 millimeter/ 0.10 inches and cut out your shapes with your choice of cookie cutters.

    I always flour my cookie cutters too so that I can cut out in one go.

    cut out cookies

    Once you are done cutting out, place the cut-out cookies on a baking sheet and bake your cookies for about 10-12 minutes. *See Recipe Card for all details.

    Repeat the process with the remaining dough until you have used up all the dough.

    cutting out sugar cookies

    🎊 How to decorate?

    You can prepare your own icing sugar at home and it's super easy and quickly ready!

    Just combine powdered sugar with a few drops of lemon juice and you have icing sugar.

    prepare icing sugar

    Don't add too much lemon juice or else it will get too liquid but add enough so that the icing is semi-liquid.

    Take a baked sugar cookie into your hand and brush the icing sugar over the cookie.

    decorate cookies

    Sprinkle some sugar decorations over your cookies when the icing is still wet. Don't wait too long because the icing hardens quickly.

    Repeat the process with all the cookies and most importantly have fun decorating!

    decorating sugar cookies

    💭 FAQs

    Do I need to chill my cookie dough?

    Yes, because you need the butter to get a bit hard so that the dough will easily roll out. If you don't chill, the dough will get sticky and unmanageable.

    Can I freeze the cookies dough?

    Yes, you can! Just place the dough wrapped in cling film into the freezer. Keep out at room temperature to thaw before rolling it out.

    How to store my sugar cookies?

    After you have baked your cookies, keep them out to cool. Then store in a cookie tin lined with parchment paper and keep on a shelf in a cool and dry spot. In a hot and humid climate (tropical), place cookies into an airtight container. Use within weeks.

    👁️ More Christmas cut out cookies

    • Cinnamon Star Cookies
    • Vodka Cookies
    • Gluten-free cut out cookies by fearlessdining.com
    How to make Sugar Cookies to cut out
    Recipes from around the world E-Book

    Global Food Recipes

    with Spices and Herbs

    Free E-Book available for a limited time. Grab yours now and get instantly inspired!

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    📖 Recipe

    sugar cookies in tree and star shape

    How to make Sugar Cookies

    The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe with quick icing to decorate your Christmas cookies.
    4.79 from 23 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    best sugar cookie recipe, how to make sugar cookies
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Cooling Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings: 50 cookies
    Calories: 64kcal
    Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

    Ingredients

    For the Cookie

    • 2¼ cups All-purpose Flour
    • Salt pinch
    • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder (not Baking Soda!)
    • 1 cup Butter
    • 1 cup Powdered Sugar aka confectioners sugar
    • ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 Egg

    For the Decoration

    • Powdered Sugar aka confectioners sugar
    • Lemon Juice
    • Sugar Decoration *see Notes
    US - Metric

    Instructions

    • First mix together the dry ingredients. The all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Keep aside.
    • In another mixing bowl, add the butter and powdered sugar. Beat fluffy to a smooth consistency.
    • Add the vanilla extract and the egg. Continue to blend in with all ingredients.
    • At last, add the dry ingredients mixed with the flour. Add a batch at a time while combining the ingredients in a kitchen machine or with a hand blender.
    • Create a well-combined dough. Place on a cling film and wrap cling film around the dough.
    • Cool the dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. This is necessary so that you can roll out the dough afterward.
    • Roll out the dough with the help of all-purpose flour so that it doesn't stick. Keep on rolling out to about 3 mm or 0.10 inches and flour your dough on both sides at all times.
    • Preheat your oven to 320° Fahrenheit/ 160° Celsius.
    • Cut out your cookies with cookie cutters of your choice. Place unbaked cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep a little space between the cookies.
    • Bake cookies at 320° Fahrenheit/ 160° Celsius. for about 10 to 12 minutes until they turn a bit yellow. Keep an eye on your cookies, because duration depends on your oven (they are not all the same).
    • Keep the baked cookies out to cool.
    • You can choose to decorate your cookies. To do so place naked baked cookies on a parchment paper.
    • In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. The quantity and consistency is up to you. Don't add too much lemon juice too and if you did, adjust by adding a little more powdered sugar. The icing should be semi-liquid.
    • Brush each cookie with the icing and sprinkle some sugar decoration over your cookies. Decorate to your liking.
    • Leave the icing to dry so that it gets hard. Store cookies in a box lined with parchment paper. See post for hot climate storage instructions.

    Notes

    You can use whichever sprinkles and sugar decorations that you can buy or that you enjoy. I like the sugar sprinkles from Dr. Oetker.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    How to make Sugar Cookies
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 64 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Cholesterol 13mg4%
    Sodium 34mg1%
    Potassium 16mg0%
    Carbohydrates 7g2%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 1g2%
    Vitamin A 118IU2%
    Calcium 6mg1%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made this? Get featured!Mention @real.masalaherb or tag #masalaherb!

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    Comments

    1. Michele Lumbert says

      December 15, 2021 at 10:33 am

      5 stars
      Delicious sugar cookie and the dough was wonderful to work with.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        December 17, 2021 at 9:22 am

        Thanks for your feedback Michele.

        Reply
    2. Nathalie Gosselin says

      November 28, 2021 at 12:29 am

      biscuits de noel

      Reply
    3. Anna says

      November 27, 2021 at 1:30 am

      Hi! I want to make these cookies for Christmas but I am wondering if we can just take an ice cream scooper and put it on the baking sheet and bake them into circles? Because I do not want to make a bunch of shapes.

      Reply
    4. Patty says

      December 29, 2020 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      This is the first time I’ve made sugar cookies. Great recipe, I like the idea of icing sugar instead of white sugar. Very tasty. I received lot of compliments how good they were, they wanted to know what was in the icing, cause they could taste lemon, I said, that’s it, just lemon and icing sugar! This will be my ‘go to’ sugar cookie recipe, from now on.
      Thank you ☺️👍

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        December 30, 2020 at 2:03 pm

        Thanks so much for sharing Patty! I'm so happy to read that you guys enjoyed the cookies with the lemon glaze. 😀

        Reply
    5. hadisjikoo says

      December 15, 2020 at 10:03 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks a lot for great recipe 👌👌👌

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        December 15, 2020 at 11:11 pm

        you are welcome 🙂

        Reply
    6. Sarra says

      December 10, 2020 at 12:52 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious 😋

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        December 13, 2020 at 4:25 pm

        👍👍👍

        Reply
    7. Vivi says

      November 14, 2020 at 10:46 pm

      How does the powdered sugar with lemon juice taste? I’ve never heard of that before hmm

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        November 18, 2020 at 3:39 pm

        It's a simple glaze. One can use water too instead of lemon juice but it's most commonly done with lemon juice in Europe. It's like a basic glaze for cakes too. You could add cocoa powder too, to make it dark or food coloring. Some people use orange blossom water or rose water instead of lemon juice. You can get quiet creative with flavors with that glaze 🙂

        Reply
    8. Bernadette says

      November 11, 2020 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      Love that they held their shape and they're good!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        November 12, 2020 at 2:38 pm

        Awesome! Thanks for your feedback

        Reply
    9. Paula says

      November 03, 2020 at 9:20 pm

      5 stars
      My first sugar cookies!!! Super easy recipe! Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        November 05, 2020 at 10:11 pm

        Amazing, well done! :))

        Reply
      • Christina says

        December 23, 2020 at 3:48 pm

        Dumb question but soft or refrigerated butter? Trying to make this today!

        Reply
        • Helene Dsouza says

          December 23, 2020 at 7:44 pm

          It's a good question! I should have mentioned it. Use soft butter so that the dough gets better formed.

          Reply
    10. Shriya Menon says

      July 29, 2020 at 10:13 am

      5 stars
      Wow it is so good and tasty 😋👍🏻

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        July 30, 2020 at 5:32 pm

        thanks for your feedback! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Jalexiea Britt says

      December 08, 2019 at 8:44 am

      5 stars
      I made this and yummy

      Reply

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