Description
These Soft Sugar Cookies are perfect for those craving tender, thick, and fluffy treats. Made with a blend of butter and cream cheese, they offer a delightful soft texture and a subtle almond and vanilla flavor. The dough is chilled before baking to ensure the cookies stay thick and don’t spread, resulting in perfect sugar cookies ideal for frosting or enjoying plain.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 3/4 cup salted butter (softened, 1 and 1/2 sticks)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
Instructions
- Beat Butter: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter on medium speed until soft and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add Cream Cheese: Add the softened cream cheese and continue beating for 1 minute until well incorporated.
- Add Sugar: Add granulated sugar and beat well for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat well, then scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add Salt and Flour: Add salt and flour, and beat until just barely combined, scraping the sides and bottom again. Avoid over mixing to prevent tough dough. The dough will be sticky.
- Chill Dough: Scrape the dough onto plastic wrap or into an airtight container. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, or freeze for 1-2 hours for faster chilling. Splitting dough into halves helps chill faster.
- Preheat Oven: Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line 2-3 baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper.
- Prepare Work Surface: Lightly dust a clean surface with flour.
- Split Dough: If not already done, split dough in half. Keep unused dough in the fridge.
- Roll Dough: Using floured hands, flatten dough slightly then roll it out to about 3/8 inch thickness. Thick dough is key for soft cookies.
- Cut Cookies: Lightly flour cookie cutters and press firmly into dough. Remove excess flour and dough from edges for clean shapes. Transfer cut cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Group similar shapes on the same pan.
- Chill Cut Cookies: If cookies have warmed, chill the baking sheet with cookies in fridge or freezer for a few minutes before baking.
- Reuse Dough: Gather scraps, knead gently 1-2 times, and reroll to 3/8 inch thickness. Keep dough refrigerated as needed. Avoid overworking dough.
- Bake Cookies: Bake cookies at 350°F for about 9 minutes for smaller cookies and 10-11 minutes for larger ones. Do not over bake—edges and tops should not brown; bottoms should be barely golden.
- Cool Cookies: Leave cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container and cover until completely cooled.
- Frosting: Frost cookies with buttercream frosting or royal icing as desired.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to maintain the thickness and softness of the cookies.
- Do not overwork the dough to avoid tough cookies.
- Avoid over baking; cookies should remain pale for a soft texture.
- Use a rolling pin and measuring tape to achieve the perfect thickness of about 3/8 inch.
- Grouping cookies by shape and size during baking ensures even cooking.
- Buttercream frosting or royal icing complements these sugar cookies perfectly.
