Sugar Cookies

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: The Cookie Clause

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (548)

Cook Time:
9 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
about 3 dozen-2 1/2 inch

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: 2 hr 0 min
Cook: 9 min
Total:: 2 hr 24 min

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Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Sugar Cookies
michelle springfield, NJ 06-09-2010
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Alton brown your sugar cookie recipe is the best one ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Dear Alton brown, I am just letting you know that the frist time that i had made the sugar cookies using your... recipe they came out great. Love always, Michelle MandersRead more
recipe Sugar Cookies
Missy Edwardsville, IL 05-24-2010
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The Best Sugar Cookies I Have Ever Made
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This cookie recipe makes cutting out sugar cookies a sinch, easy. They not only taste delicious but are wonderful for... decorating and cutting. I threw out all my old recipes and only use this one. Alton Brown did a great job with this recipe!! Can I give it ten stars?Read more
recipe Sugar Cookies
Janine Alton, IL 05-12-2010
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Flaky, tender and disappeared in a flash!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have never made sugar cookies and when I needed a recipe for an event I turned to Alton Brown for a trusted recipe! I love... his recipes. I had no problem putting the dough together and even the 2 hour wait time was not a hassle. I looked at the suggestions posted by fellow cookie lovers and decided to try the cinnamon and vanilla additions and loved the flavors that it brought to the cookies. By adding the powder sugar to the counter before rolling, it made the task easy in the long run and did not add too much sweetness to the dough. I think it took more time for me to mix, cut out and bake than it did for my guests to devour these tasty delights and I made a double batch! The cookies turned out with a crisp outside and a tender, flaky, center that made the cookies perfect. I have been getting a lot of requests for the recipe and I always tell them it is from Alton Brown. Read more
recipe Sugar Cookies
Carrie Newtown, PA 04-29-2010
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Bland yet PERFECT
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These are the BEST sugar cookies for cutting out cookies and the texture is great, but they definitely need some flavor.
recipe Sugar Cookies
Marie powell, OH 04-28-2010
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Just add Vanilla and Orange Zest
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The first time I made these the texture was perfectly crisp and buttery but the flavor was lacking. Ever since, I add a... teaspoon of vanilla and the zest of one orange to the batter. I flavor my frosting with vanilla and almond extract...the almond is a really nice compliment to the orange in the cookies; the flavors aren't distinctive on their own, but they work really well together. These are my most requested cookie by friends and family! Read more
recipe Sugar Cookies
michelle springfield, NJ 04-10-2010
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These Sugar Cookies are the best ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Dear Alton Brown, This a very good recipe to use to make sugar cookies.