Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe
These sugar cookies are an adapted family recipe that get a pillowy softness from the addition of buttermilk. Topped with a classic royal icing, this is a go-to recipe for holiday decorating parties, cookie swaps and leaving out for Santa.
Servings: 36
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For royal icing
- 6 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- Gel food coloring optional, for decoration
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), cream together sugar and shortening on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix on low speed until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, about ⅓ at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. Tip: The dough will be on the softer side, but it should be thick enough to hold together if formed into a ball. It will firm up with refrigeration.
- Divide dough in half, shape each portion into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Roll out and bake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats (optional).
- Lightly flour your countertop and roll one disc of dough to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a bit of space between each cookie. Repeat with the second disc of dough. Gather scraps and roll out, until all dough is used. You might need to add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if dough gets sticky. Just knead it into the scrap dough.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until edges are set but not browned. Cookies should look slightly pale when you pull them out; they’ll continue to bake as they cool.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Make royal icing and decorate
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add pasteurized egg whites and almond extract. Whisk on low speed for about 10-15 seconds until frothy.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until all is incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Increase speed to medium and beat until the icing is smooth, glossy, and thick enough to hold soft peaks (about 2 to 3 minutes). Check consistency: Dip a spoon into the icing; it should slowly ribbon off and hold its shape for a few seconds before smoothing out. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of water at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Divide icing into bowls and color with gel food coloring, if desired.
- Transfer to piping bags (or use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off) and decorate cooled cookies.
Notes
- Cookies will continue to bake slightly after coming out of the oven. Pull them when edges are just set for the softest texture.
- For best results, use simple-shaped cookie cutters. Because the dough spreads slightly, intricate designs may lose detail.
- Allow icing to dry at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before stacking or packaging cookies.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.