Description
This Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe is perfect for Halloween or any festive occasion. These cookies are delightfully soft and sweet, with a buttery texture and customizable flavor using lemon, vanilla, or almond extract. They can be baked thick and large or thin and crisp, making them versatile for decorating and enjoying with royal icing.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 5.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 lb (4 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons flavoring extract (lemon, vanilla, or almond)
Frosting
- Basic royal icing (refer to Food Network’s royal icing recipe)
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Combine the room temperature butter and sugar in a large bowl, mixing together until the mixture is creamy and smooth, ensuring a light texture for the cookies.
- Add Flavor and Eggs: Beat in the chosen flavoring extract alongside the eggs until the mixture becomes fluffy and well incorporated, which helps in creating a tender cookie.
- Incorporate Flour: Gradually add the flour to the bowl on a low mixer speed to prevent flour dust and ensure an even dough consistency without overmixing.
- Chill the Dough: Place the dough in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up; this step helps control spread during baking and improves dough handling.
- Bake Thick Large Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Shape the dough into thick, large cookies and bake for 10-14 minutes or until just set but not browned, to maintain softness.
- Bake Thin Cookies: For thinner cookies, set the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 8-13 minutes until just set to achieve a slightly crisper edge.
- Prepare Frosting: Use the basic royal icing recipe linked above or your preferred recipe for decorating your cooled cookies.
- Decorate: Once cookies are fully cooled, ice them with royal frosting and decorate as desired for Halloween or other celebrations.
Notes
- Cookie dough should be chilled thoroughly to prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Do not overbake; the cookies should appear just set without browning to keep them soft.
- Adjust baking time slightly based on cookie thickness and oven variations.
- Butter should be at room temperature for optimal creaming with sugar.
- Flavor extracts can be substituted based on preference, such as vanilla or almond instead of lemon.
- Royal icing requires the cookies to be completely cooled before application to prevent melting.
