Be Creative Sugar Cookies Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

• Cookies:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt


• Icing:
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup meringue powder
• ¼ cup water
• Food coloring, in various colors to decorate
• Sprinkles, sugar pearls, large crystal sugar, dragées, and/or candies

Here’s a deliciously crisp and tender sugar cookie that can assumemany shapes and be served as is, or sandwiched with jam, chocolate,or your favorite filling.

Position 1 oven rack in the top third of the oven and 1 ovenrack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make the cookies. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl.Using a mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Turn up thespeed to medium and beat for another minute. The mixtureshould be blended and smooth. Turn off the mixer. Using asilicone spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add theegg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until wellblended. Turn off the mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Put the flour and salt into a medium bowl and whisk untilblended. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture andbeat on low speed just until the ingredients are blended and nopatches of flour are visible. The mixture will have the texture ofgravel and pebbles. Scrape down the bowl one last time, andmake sure no clumps of flour are hiding in the bottom.

Dump the clumps of dough onto your worksurface, and squeeze them together untilthey form a cohesive dough. Flatten thedough into a 9-inch circle, wrap in plastic orparchment, and chill for 30 minutes beforecontinuing.

Place a large sheet of parchment paper onyour work surface, about the size of a bakingsheet. Have a second parchment sheet thesame size ready. Remove the dough fromthe refrigerator and place it in the centerof the first parchment sheet. Top with thesecond parchment sheet, and flatten thedough slightly. Using a rolling pin, andstarting from the edge closest to you, rollgently but firmly to the edge opposite youand then back again twice. Be careful notto roll the pin off the edge of the dough,or the dough will stick to the paper. Turnthe dough, between the parchment paper,a quarter turn and roll up and back againtwice. Repeat rolling up and back andturning until the dough is ¼ inch thick.

If the paper creases into the dough, gentlypeel back the paper, straighten it out, andsmooth it back on top of the dough. You’llneed to do this several times during therolling process. If the dough gets too soft andsquishy while you are rolling, transfer it to abaking sheet (still between the parchmentpaper) and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes,until cool but flexible.

Peel off the top sheet of parchment. If thedough is soft and sticky, refrigerate for 15minutes. Using the cookie cutters, pressdown firmly to cut out the shapes.Cut them as close together as possible.Using a small offset spatula, lift the shapesoff the parchment paper and transfer to theprepared pans, spacing them about 1 inchapart. Press all the dough scraps together, rollthe dough out, and cut out more shapes.

Place 1 baking sheet on each oven rack.Bake for 8 minutes, then, using oven mitts,switch the pans between the oven racks.Bake for another 5 to 9 minutes, until thecookies are golden brown around the edgesand lightly golden in the center. Using ovenmitts, transfer the pans to the cooling racksand let the cookies cool completely beforedecorating. You may need to reuse the pansto finish baking all the cookies. Let the panscool before you put more dough on them forbaking.

Make the icing. Sift the powdered sugar intoanother medium bowl. Put the meringuepowder and water in a large bowl. Make surethe bowl and your mixer beaters are veryclean so the icing will whip up nicely. Beatthe meringue on medium speed for about1 minute, then turn the mixer to high andcontinue to whip until the mixture looks likewhipped cream and has formed soft peaks.

With the mixer on medium speed, add thesifted sugar, about ¼ cup at a time, shakingit gently over the bowl and letting it blend inslowly. Once all the s

• Cookies:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt


• Icing:
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup meringue powder
• ¼ cup water
• Food coloring, in various colors to decorate
• Sprinkles, sugar pearls, large crystal sugar, dragées, and/or candies

Here’s a deliciously crisp and tender sugar cookie that can assumemany shapes and be served as is, or sandwiched with jam, chocolate,or your favorite filling.

Position 1 oven rack in the top third of the oven and 1 ovenrack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make the cookies. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl.Using a mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Turn up thespeed to medium and beat for another minute. The mixtureshould be blended and smooth. Turn off the mixer. Using asilicone spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add theegg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until wellblended. Turn off the mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Put the flour and salt into a medium bowl and whisk untilblended. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture andbeat on low speed just until the ingredients are blended and nopatches of flour are visible. The mixture will have the texture ofgravel and pebbles. Scrape down the bowl one last time, andmake sure no clumps of flour are hiding in the bottom.

Dump the clumps of dough onto your worksurface, and squeeze them together untilthey form a cohesive dough. Flatten thedough into a 9-inch circle, wrap in plastic orparchment, and chill for 30 minutes beforecontinuing.

Place a large sheet of parchment paper onyour work surface, about the size of a bakingsheet. Have a second parchment sheet thesame size ready. Remove the dough fromthe refrigerator and place it in the centerof the first parchment sheet. Top with thesecond parchment sheet, and flatten thedough slightly. Using a rolling pin, andstarting from the edge closest to you, rollgently but firmly to the edge opposite youand then back again twice. Be careful notto roll the pin off the edge of the dough,or the dough will stick to the paper. Turnthe dough, between the parchment paper,a quarter turn and roll up and back againtwice. Repeat rolling up and back andturning until the dough is ¼ inch thick.

If the paper creases into the dough, gentlypeel back the paper, straighten it out, andsmooth it back on top of the dough. You’llneed to do this several times during therolling process. If the dough gets too soft andsquishy while you are rolling, transfer it to abaking sheet (still between the parchmentpaper) and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes,until cool but flexible.

Peel off the top sheet of parchment. If thedough is soft and sticky, refrigerate for 15minutes. Using the cookie cutters, pressdown firmly to cut out the shapes.Cut them as close together as possible.Using a small offset spatula, lift the shapesoff the parchment paper and transfer to theprepared pans, spacing them about 1 inchapart. Press all the dough scraps together, rollthe dough out, and cut out more shapes.

Place 1 baking sheet on each oven rack.Bake for 8 minutes, then, using oven mitts,switch the pans between the oven racks.Bake for another 5 to 9 minutes, until thecookies are golden brown around the edgesand lightly golden in the center. Using ovenmitts, transfer the pans to the cooling racksand let the cookies cool completely beforedecorating. You may need to reuse the pansto finish baking all the cookies. Let the panscool before you put more dough on them forbaking.

Make the icing. Sift the powdered sugar intoanother medium bowl. Put the meringuepowder and water in a large bowl. Make surethe bowl and your mixer beaters are veryclean so the icing will whip up nicely. Beatthe meringue on medium speed for about1 minute, then turn the mixer to high andcontinue to whip until the mixture looks likewhipped cream and has formed soft peaks.

With the mixer on medium speed, add thesifted sugar, about ¼ cup at a time, shakingit gently over the bowl and letting it blend inslowly. Once all the s