This easy classic sugar cookie recipe makes incredibly light and airy sugar cookies. Not overly sweet, they are perfect in their simplicity.
This impressive cookie is sure to become a family favorite. My mom keeps a batch in her freezer at all times for a quick sweet fix. She actually prefers them without a dusting of sugar.
Because you don’t have to roll them and cut them out, they are super easy and quick to make.
This post is all about the easy classic sugar cookie recipe.
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The Best Easy Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients for Easy Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe:
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 c. confectioner’s sugar – sift before your measure to remove lumps
- 1 c. canola oil
- 2 large eggs – room temperature
- 4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 t. cream of tartar
- 1 t. soda
- 1 t. salt
- 2 t.pure vanilla extract
Instructions for Easy Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe:
- Cream sugar and butter until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Chill for at least 2 hours.
- Using an ice cream scoop, spoon into balls and drop them onto a cookie sheet.
- Use a flat-bottomed glass, dipped into water, and then sugar, to flatten each dough ball.
- You can sprinkle a little more sugar on the flattened cookies if you prefer.
- Bake at 350° for 12-14 min. till edges are golden – turn the pan once if your oven has hot spots
Tips for Success for Easy Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe
- I use an ice cream scoop to make cookies. The 1” diameter scoop makes about 6 dozen 2” cookies.
- Unsalted butter is always preferred because it allows you to control the amount of salt added to a recipe.
- Assemble all tools and ingredients before you begin
- Read thru the entire recipe before beginning
- Check your oven temperature using an oven thermometer before you bake the cookies.
- Do not place cookie dough on a warm cookie sheet. This can cause the dough to run and spread.
- Do not pack the flour – it will cause your cookies to be dry. – If your dough is crumbly then you know you have added too much flour
- if you dough is a bit crumbly, you can warm it with your hands and roll it into a ball.
- Check the cookies early and often because the temperature can vary significantly in ovens.
- Use a rimless baking sheet to ensure the even cooking of the cookies
How to Store Cookies
If you’re not planning to eat them right away, store them as soon as they have cooled in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Baked cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to one month. First, place cookies in a zip-top bag and then place them in an airtight container.
This cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
How to Package Sugar Cookies for Gifts
These cookies are so delicious, they make the perfect gift for any occasion. They can be a little fragile since they are so light and airy.
You will want to use something strong, such as a mold or box, that will protect the cookies. A Chinese takeout box is perfect for these cookies. Add a velvet bow and you’ve got an elegant gift that is sure to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Cellophane bags, though they are my favorite way to wrap baked goods, are probably not the best for wrapping these cookies.
How to Store a Silpat Baking Mat
- wipe down with a soft clean towel
- let it air dry
- you can use a solution of mild dish soap and water if needed
- it is normal for the Silpat to have a slightly oily feeling even when it is cleaned
- Silpats are not dishwasher safe
Silpats have changed the cookie game – No more burned cookies! A Silpat may be the single most important tool when baking cookies. Because they are so important, you want to take special care of them.
Never use a knife, scraper, scrubber, or anything sharp on the Silpat. This will damage the nonstick surface.
Store the Silpat either flat or rolled up. I typically lay mine on the cookie sheet and store them in the cupboard. You can also roll them and store them inside a paper towel tube.
Why Should You Use Unbleached Flour?
Unbleached flour is as natural as possible. Bleached flour contains additives that whiten the flour and can affect the baking characteristics.
How Do You Know if Butter is Softened?
When a recipe calls for softened butter, that doesn’t mean warm butter. Softened butter should still be somewhat cool for optimal baking.
Softened butter should be at a temperature between 56-67 ° – a little cooler than room temperature.
It’s at this temperature that the sugar crystals cut the butter most effectively. If the butter is too warm, the sugar crystals will just melt into the butter.
How to keep the kitchen clean as you bake?
- Place a garbage bowl near your work area – learned this from The Great Rachel Ray
- The night before you bake, ensure that there are no dirty dishes in the sink and that the dishwasher is empty.
- Put a spoon rest near your work area
- Keep a bench scraper nearby to scrape away the scraps
- get your mise en place before you begin
- as you work, move all dirty bowls and utensils to the dishwasher (not the sink). This should keep the counters organized and tidy.
What is Mise En Place? Pronounced – meez un plas
- read through the recipe instructions
- come up with a plan
- gather tools and ingredients
- pre-measure ingredients
What Flavorings Can I Use in My Sugar Cookies?
- Grand Marnier
- Cointreau
- Lemon juice
- Citrus zest
- Mild herbs
From your favorite liquor to exotic extracts the possibilities are endless when it comes to flavoring your sugar cookies.
These really tick all the boxes as a favorite cookie; delicious, easy to make, simple ingredients, can be made ahead, and they make the perfect gift. What more could you want from a cookie?
You don’t even need to wait for a special occasion to make these. They are sure to become a family favorite. You’ll be storing a batch in the freezer too!
