Rolled Sugar Cookies deliver classic cut-out perfection with tender, buttery crumb that holds intricate shapes from stars to snowmen, rolling smoothly without cracking for holiday cookie swaps, gingerbread houses, or decorated platters. These vanilla-scented rounds bake pale golden-edged, yielding crisp yet soft bite ideal royal icing, sprinkles, or simple sugar dust—perfect family tradition where kids cut shapes while dough chills reliably. Scale 3 cups flour makes 3-4 dozen 3-inch cookies, freezing dough or baked for make-ahead December magic without toughening.
Why you’ll love this recipe starts with foolproof rolling: butter-sugar creaming traps air for lift, eggs bind without spreading, baking powder tenderizes gently—no chilling skips yield puffy blobs. Reviewers praise “never-fail” consistency across cookie cutters, vanilla depth rounding sweetness, optional coloring kneading marbled fun without dye bleed. 15-minute bake per sheet rotates easy, stacks airtight weeks, thaws crisp—budget at pennies/cookie stacks tins neighbor gifts.
Versatility rules year-round: Christmas trees iced detail, Valentine’s hearts jam-filled, Halloween ghosts royal-iced—sprinkles embed pre-bake permanent, food coloring swirls rainbow batches kids devour. No-roll slice-drop variation exists but loses shape charm; gluten-free 1:1 flour adapts seamless, vegan butter/flax eggs works texture-close.
Why you’ll love this recipe
High butter ratio creates melt-away shortbread-like tenderness rivaling bakery, while measured flour prevents density—perfect beginner-rolling without tears. Two eggs + baking powder ensure lift holding thin cutters like bells/stockings; vanilla unifies without overpowering icing flavors.
Chill 1-2 hours (overnight deeper) prevents stick/spread, rolling 1/4-inch uniform bakes even—no doming thick spots. Pale bake preserves white canvas royal icing; edges golden signal done without overcrisp. Yields consistent 3-inch cookies ~2.5-inch baked, stacking 4-high tins no breakage.
Custom endless: knead gel coloring post-flour marble effect, embed sprinkles pre-roll permanent, sandwich jam post-bake linzer-style. Freezes scooped dough/logs 3 months bake-straight +2 minutes; baked freeze parchment-layered revives 350°F/5 minutes oven-fresh.
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