Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Soft, tangy cream cheese sugar cookies that roll out smoothly, hold their cut-out shape, and bake up pale and flat for icing.
Servings: 12
Calories: 175kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
Optional flavorings (choose one):
- 1 Tablespoon orange or lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract leave out the vanilla and almond extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract leave out the vanilla and almond extract
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese and butter at room temperature. You can also microwave the cream cheese for 15 seconds at a time until soft.
- Beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar with a mixer until the sugar granules have completely dissolved. The mixture should be pale and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Add any optional flavoring now.
- Sift in the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Place each half between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it ¼ to ⅓ inch thick. Don't roll thinner than ¼ inch, or the cookies won't be as soft.
- Chill the rolled dough flat in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut out shapes from the cookie dough. Dip the cookie cutters in flour before each press so the dough doesn't stick.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the cookies are pale with a smooth, flat surface.
- Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Notes
- Yield: About 36 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
- Thickness: Roll 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Thinner dough bakes up hard and crunchy.
- Chilling is key: Cold dough keeps the cut-outs from spreading. Rolling between parchment and chilling the flat sheets is my favorite method.
- Other ways to chill: Wrap 2 or 3 portions of dough in plastic and chill 10 minutes in the freezer or 20 minutes in the fridge. Or cut out the shapes, set them on parchment, chill 15 minutes in the fridge, and bake straight from the fridge.
- Cracked tops: Cracks mean the cookies were overbaked or the oven ran hot. Shorten the time or lower the temperature on the next batch.
- Make-ahead: Bake up to a week ahead. Wrap tightly, store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freezing dough: Unbaked dough keeps in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg