Soft and Chewy Roll-Out Sugar Cookies

This is my best recipe for roll-out sugar cookie dough that I’ve adjusted a bit over the years. It makes flat cookies that spread minimally when baking.

​Once baked and cooled, they stay firm and avoid breakage fairly well. I’ve even shipped them half way across the country with plenty of bubble wrap and was pleasantly surprised that not a single one broke! 

​While being break-resistant, they are still surprisingly soft and chewy. When combined with my Honey Glaze Cookie Icing, they make for a delicious, addicting treat! 

For the flavor, I make it an option to use either almond or vanilla. I personally prefer almond, but I get nervous about allergies, so I usually end up going with the vanilla, especially when I know there will be kids eating the cookies. I also add a ¼ tsp of lemon extract that brightens up the flavor beautifully. 

This may be controversial, but I don’t bother with refrigerating my dough before I cut or bake it. I find that as long as I keep it lightly dusted with flour, it’s not too sticky to work with. And I’ve never had any issue with these spreading too much. But if you find that it helps, or if you aren’t cutting cookies immediately after mixing the dough, go ahead and refrigerate it. 

Here's a before and after to show the amount of spreading to expect:

*Many of my recipes are made using weighted measurements. Follow grams for best results, as volumetric measurements are approximations. 

Sugar Magic Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Makes 15 Large (3”) Cutout Cookies 
170 g  (1.5 sticks) Salted butter, softened 
57 g (2 oz) Cream cheese, softened 
100 g (½ cup, lightly packed) Light brown sugar 
100 g (½ cup) Granulated sugar 
1 tsp Almond or vanilla extract 
¼ tsp Lemon extract 
½ tsp Salt 
½ Tbsp Baking powder 
1 egg 
425 g  (2 ¾ cup) All-purpose flour 

1) Cream softened butter, cream cheese, and sugars for several minutes, until soft and well-mixed. 
2) Add in flavors, salt, baking powder, and eggs. Beat until thoroughly blended. 
3) Add in flour and mix until just combined. 
4) Preheat oven to 350° as you prepare to cut your cookies. Gently knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to around ¼” thickness and cut into your preferred shapes. 
5) Place shapes on parchment-lined baking pans and bake at 350° for 8 – 10 minutes. 

Be sure to check out my Honey Glaze Cookie Icing recipe and share any recipes and designs you try! @JuliesSugarMagic or #JuliesSugarMagic on Facebook and Instagram. 
Happy cookie decorating!