Return to the main food index page.

Basic Sugar Cookies

  1. Tools
    1. All measurements are in the English system (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, degrees Fahrenheit)
    2. Kitchen Aid standing mixer
    3. Heavy mixing spoon
    4. Small mixing bowl for dry ingredients.
    5. Measuring spoons, measuring cups
    6. Cookie sheet, smaller spoon for measuring out dough
    7. Conventional oven that can sustain 375 degrees
    8. Spatula, cooling rack
    9. Hot pads

  2. Ingredients
    1. Two sticks Butter, passively warmed to room temperature
    2. 1.5 cup white sugar
    3. One egg: larger is better
    4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
    5. 2.75 cups of white flour, preferably unbleached, not self-rising
    6. 1 teaspoon baking soda
    7. 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
    8. Optional: 1 teaspoon salt; omit if your butter is salted.
    9. 1.0 teaspoon cinnamon
    10. 0.5 teaspoon of cardamom
    11. 0.5 teaspoon of nutmeg

  3. Preparation
    1. Let the butter soften at room temperature in the standing mixer's bowl.
    2. Add the sugar to the butter in the mixing bowl.
    3. Mix at level 2 or level 3
    4. Use the large mixing spoon to scrape the bowl or paddle if needed.
    5. Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl with the sugar-butter mixture.
    6. Mix all ingredients together.
    7. Measure the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg into the small mixing bowl.
    8. Swirl the dry ingredients to spread the leavening and spices through the flour.
    9. Slowly incorporate the dry mixture into the wet until all the dry mixture is uniformly incorporated.
    10. Disengage the mixer head and paddle. Scrape the paddle into the bowl. Disengage the bowl.

  4. Baking
    1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. Prepare a 13x13 inch pan with PAM and parchment paper.
    3. Form four rows and four columns of cookies. Should make 3 batches, or 48 cookies.
    4. For a larger cookie sheet, prepare with PAM and parchment paper; load perhaps 24 cookies (4 x 6) per bake.
    5. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
    6. There should be some light brown on the cookies around the edges, but they should also look slightly underdone.

  5. Post-baking
    1. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes or so before taking them off.
      Otherwise they tend to break apart when touched.
    2. Move the cookies to a wire rack for more cooling before storing. Let rest at least ten minutes.
    3. Once cooled, store separated by wax paper in a container that seals well.