My husband adores the type of sugar cookies that are rolled out, cut out, baked, iced, and then covered in sprinkles. There’s nothing wrong with this except that this process can take awhile- not including chilling the dough.
For those of you short on time I’ve discovered a new recipe that shortcuts several of these steps. The dough can be rolled out right from the mixer. While your oven preheats, stick the cookie sheets outside to chill (take advantage of the mountains in the winter).
I also have a fast method for icing cookies. When your cookies are cool, dip them face down in a small bowl of the icing, being sure to cover the whole cookie. Lift it back up, keeping it horizontal. Skim it across the edge of the bowl to remove any excess icing and lay face up on a cookie sheet to set (don’t forget to sprinkle!).
Cookie Icing Recipe
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk everything together. Tint with food coloring if desired.
If you’re seeking the longer sugar cookie method, here are some other posts:
Christmas Sugar Cut Out Cookies
How to make this high altitude adjusted recipe:
Super Quick Rolled Sugar Cookies
Adapted from the Layers of Happiness Blog
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt
- Add the flour mixture until combined
- If your dough is still dry, crumbly, and not coming together, this is probably because your flour is drier than normal at altitude. Whisk another egg and add it in small intervals until a dough forms. You may not need all of it.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on your counter as your work space
- Flour parchment and dump dough onto the paper
- Flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin, and gently roll out your dough to ⅓" thickness or whatever thickness desired- the thicker the cookies the softer they'll be
- Cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1.5" apart
- When one cookie sheet is full, refrigerate (or place outside) for 5-10 minutes
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, depending on their thickness, or until the edges are a light golden brown
- Ice or decorate as desired
This recipe was adapted for high altitude baking. To make at sea level, increase flour to 3 cups and baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Baking times may vary slightly.
