Sugar Cookie Recipes Guide

You'll Need:

• Parchment paper
• Cookie cutters in various shapes. Metal cookie cutters work best.
• All-purpose flour
• Rolling pin
• Cookie sheet

Directions:

1. Divide your sugar cookie dough in half or thirds to work with smaller amounts.
2. For best results, chill all portions of the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Take one portion out of the fridge at a time so the rest of the dough stays cool for as long as possible.
3. Transfer your portioned, pre-made or store-bought dough onto a large piece of parchment paper.
4. Begin flattening your ball of dough by hand into until it becomes a round, flattened layer.
5. Optional pro tip: Before grabbing the rolling pin, layer another piece of parchment paper on top of your flattened dough to prevent the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.
6. Begin rolling your layer of dough with a rolling pin in all directions to further flatten and maintain a somewhat round or oval shape, until you reach a consistent thickness (approximately ¼”–½”. Tip: Use chopsticks or wooden sticks to achieve a consistent thickness.
7. Flip over your dough to check for wrinkling on the underside.
8. Once your dough is evenly spread and still sandwiched between parchment paper, slide or transfer it to a cookie sheet to chill.
9. Chill in a refrigerator for about 30–35 minutes or in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until the dough firms.
10. Remove from the fridge or freezer, still on the cold baking sheet.
11. Turn over your dough sheet so the bottom that was on the cold baking sheet is now on top, and peel back the layer of parchment paper to reveal your chilled dough. By peeling off what was the bottom sheet of parchment paper, the dough will readily lift after cutting.
12. Grab your cookie cutters and begin cutting out shapes by pressing firmly against the dough. Before lifting the cookie cutter from the dough, give it a little wiggle to help the cut-out piece separate from the rest of the dough. For intricate cookie cutters with small grooves and sticky dough, try dipping your cookie cutter in flour before cutting shapes.
13. If the dough does not lift from the parchment paper while cutting, continue cutting shapes in the rest of the dough until all spaces within the dough are used.
14. For remaining cookies that did not lift, peel away the excess remaining dough and lift the parchment paper to assist in removing the cookie cut-outs (or use a spatula to help).
15. Transfer to a separate parchment-lined baking sheet.
16. Repeat with remaining dough, starting from step 3.
17. Repurpose the scraps! Press the cookie dough scraps together into one ball. Roll out the dough, being careful not to overwork it. Repeat the cookie-cutting process.