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Happy Food, Healthy Life

Forking delicious vegan food

Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies

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 If you’re looking for the best sugar cookie to cut out and decorate, this is the one for you. They stay soft for days and have a better and lighter flavor than most sugar cookies.

Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies - If you're looking for the best sugar cookie to cut out and decorate, this is the one for you. They stay soft for days and have a better flavor than most sugar cookies.

A few fun facts:

This post is actually a re-do from 3 years ago. There are some ridiculously ugly pictures from the original post down below that you’ve got to check out. Fun to see the improvement!

I have an obsession (jealousy issue) with royal-icing-decorated cookies and want so badly to have the talent and skill that so many other cookie decorators have.

I’m slowly but surely improving on my decorating skills though – if you want to see a fun (ie – totally embarrassing) comparison to how bad my skills were at one point, check out this fail from a few years ago.

I used to not be able to make or decorate a cookie to save my life. Seriously, it was embarrassing.

Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies - If you're looking for the best sugar cookie to cut out and decorate, this is the one for you. They stay soft for days and have a better flavor than most sugar cookies.

But now look. Look where I am. Look at these cute decorated cookies!

Far too often, we get stuck in the comparison game. Especially as bloggers. Our photography isn’t as good as so-and-so’s. Our styling isn’t as “moody” as that one girl’s. Our recipes aren’t as creative as his are. There is SO much comparison. And don’t even get me started on the numbers game. I just have to stick my fingers in my ears when I hear how many page views other bloggers are getting because it just feeds that ugly comparison game.

Instead, I try so hard to compare my current self with my past self. That’s all that I can do. Expecting myself to be at someone else’s level overnight is unrealistic. But expecting myself to be better than myself yesterday or a year ago is not much to ask for, and that is what I strive for in my work.

Improvement in my skills. Mentally, physically, and creatively.

Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies - If you're looking for the best sugar cookie to cut out and decorate, this is the one for you. They stay soft for days and have a better flavor than most sugar cookies.

I will say, there is one thing that has not required any change or improvement, and that is these sugar cookies. I have been making them for years, and I haven’t changed a thing because they are just that perfect! They hold their shape when you cut them out with cute cookie cutters. They don’t spread at all. Plus they stay soft for days and practically melt in your mouth with how light they are.

Do yourself a favor. Make these your go-to soft sugar cookie recipe for the holidays and all year long. You can bet I’ll be making them regularly to keep improving my decorating skills.

Check out my EGG-FREE VEGAN ROYAL ICING for the best decorating recipe and tips… without any weird meringue powder or egg whites!

[Tweet “The perfect soft sugar cookies that melt in your mouth and hold their shape when you bake them!”]

 

Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies - If you're looking for the best sugar cookie to cut out and decorate, this is the one for you. They stay soft for days and have a better flavor than most sugar cookies.

Perfect Sugar Cookies

Yield: 0 makes 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on size of cutouts

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, (from about 1 lemon)
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  3. Add vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon zest; mix. Add two cups flour, baking powder and salt. Mix. Add remaining flour and mix just until flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and soft.
  4. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Dust a counter with flour and roll the dough to desired thickness.
  5. Cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies on a lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Keep in mind that the cookies won’t appear browned at all when they are done baking so don’t let them ove-rbake!
  6. Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Do you like this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Holly Waterfall

 

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture, upload it to Instagram and tag me (@happyfoodholly) and use the hashtag #inspiredbyholly

Perfect Sugar Cookies - Super soft and melt in your mouth delicious. And they stay soft for days!

Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies - If you're looking for the best sugar cookie to cut out and decorate, this is the one for you. They stay soft for days and have a better flavor than most sugar cookies.

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Filed Under: Meatless Recipes

Comments

  1. Erin @ Wholly Delicious Dishes says

    December 4, 2012 at 9:45 am

    How did you know I needed a good sugar cookie recipe for Santa’s cookies? These look so yummy!

    Reply
    • Holly says

      December 4, 2012 at 10:36 am

      Erin, you will LOVE these. I will never go back to any other sugar cookie. They’re the BEST! and this comes from someone who can’t bake cookies haha!

      Reply
  2. Ashli says

    December 4, 2012 at 12:30 pm

    I love the color of these cookies…it’s a nice break from all the green and red! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Holly says

      December 4, 2012 at 1:05 pm

      Thanks Ashli. Don’t call me a Scrooge, but I’m really not a fan of that color combo.

      Reply
      • Ashli says

        December 4, 2012 at 3:28 pm

        I actually love those colors, but I’m a little partial…those are my highschool colors! ๐Ÿ™‚ But I love the blue and white also:)

        Reply
        • Brittney says

          October 23, 2018 at 10:16 am

          I think the colors are darling! Reminds me of Whoville on the Grinch! So So Cute!

          Reply
  3. Aspen says

    November 22, 2014 at 11:23 am

    How did you make the icing? Do you have a recipe for that?

    Reply
    • Holly Waterfall says

      November 26, 2014 at 10:11 am

      Aspen, I wish I could say that icing was my strong point, but I haven’t gotten a perfect recipe or decorating method down yet. A few sites I would recommend for icing and cookie decorating:
      Sweetopia (http://sweetopia.net/2009/06/cookie-decorating-tutorial-general-tips-butterfly-cookies/)
      The Decorated Cookie (http://thedecoratedcookie.com/recipes-and-how-tos/)
      Good luck!

      Reply
  4. Kathi Riemer says

    November 25, 2014 at 10:55 pm

    I’m always in search of the perfect sugar cookie. This looks like a keeper! Pinned!

    Reply
    • Holly Waterfall says

      November 26, 2014 at 9:59 am

      Thanks for sharing! I am so ready to get baking and decorating this year!

      Reply
  5. Ashli says

    December 11, 2015 at 7:41 pm

    Love! Love! Love!

    Reply
    • Holly Waterfall says

      December 17, 2015 at 12:39 pm

      Thanks Ashli! That means a lot coming from you because your decorated cookies are amazing!

      Reply
  6. Pauline Molinari says

    December 15, 2015 at 2:39 pm

    These cookies look SO delicious! Thanks so much for sharing your yummy recipe on the Monday Funday Party!

    Reply
    • Holly Waterfall says

      December 17, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      Pauline, they’re by far my favorite sugar cookie recipe ever!

      Reply
  7. Kim~madeinaday says

    December 15, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    I need a perfect cookie recipe that not a already mixed tube, lol! Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on Twitter & MM Pinterest Board! Have a great week!
    Kim

    Reply
    • Holly Waterfall says

      December 17, 2015 at 12:36 pm

      Yes! you are going to love this recipe. I’m actually making a huge batch this weekend for my kiddo, niece, and nephews to decorate for Santa!

      Reply
  8. Mollie Simpkins says

    December 11, 2016 at 6:37 pm

    Best sugar cookies I have ever made. Best. Ever.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Weekend Web Findings | Happy Food, Healthy Life says:
    December 8, 2012 at 5:00 am

    […] posted my Perfect Sugar Cookies for you to kick off the baking season. I talked about stopping a binge before it even starts. I […]

    Reply
  2. Holiday Pinwheel Cookies – Cooking with my Kid | Happy Food, Healthy Life says:
    December 10, 2012 at 5:03 am

    […] 1 batch sugar cookie dough, refrigerated for at least 30 minutes food coloring coordinating sprinkles of your choice […]

    Reply

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Hey there!

I'm Holly and I create real food recipes for real people. People who want to eat more than kale chips and tofu. People who are a little bit terrified of vegan food because - hello, what the F is tempeh and seitan, right?
People who want to go plant-based but can't even imagine a life without cheese or ice cream. I'm right there with ya and am here to help you every step of the way. I can't wait to show you around!

xoxo Holly

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even if you're plant-based.

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