Frosted Sugar Cookie Cut Outs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Freeze Time (optional) 15

Total Time 42

Servings cookies

Calories 262

Author Annalise Sandberg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla together until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg andand mix until just combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Add to the mixer and mix on low until combined. Mixture will be crumbly at first, but will eventually come together into a thick dough.
Dump onto a clean surface and massage the dough a bit until it comes together. Shape into a disk.
With a rolling pin, roll dough out to about ¼ inch thick (up to ½ inch for super thick cookies), adding more flour to your work surface and to the dough as needed to keep it from sticking.
Cut dough out with cookie cutters into desired shapes and transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, leaving several inches of space between each cookie.
If desired, freeze cookies on the pan for 15 minutes (this is extra insurance that your cookies will no spread and lose their shape while baking, but is not required).
Bake until cookies are puffed and the tops appear completely dry, about 8-12 minutes. Baking time will vary based on size of the cookies (see Notes). Let cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a sheet pan to cool completely.

Beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, pinch of salt and heavy cream on medium speed until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until smooth and very fluffy.
Add food coloring to frosting if you like. Frost cookies and decorate as desired.

NOTES:

To make Almond Sugar Cookies: Substitute 1 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla extract in the cookies. Omit vanilla in frosting and increase almond extract to 1/2 teaspoon.
If you wait for the edges of the cookies turn brown, they are already a little overdone. What I do when I try a new cookie recipe is I bake one test cookie, checking it often. And then I bake the rest when I determine the correct baking time. These cookies turned out with a barely golden bottom at exactly 12 minutes in my oven.