Normally, cut out sugar cookies are the worst. If they are gorgeous they are pretty tasteless. If they are tasty they are ugly. Sometimes they can be too sweet, too crumbly, to thin, too hard.
Well, I compiled a bunch of my favorite recipes and techniques, and I made some pretty cute cut out sugar cookies for St. Patrick’s Day that even my allergy kids can eat!
No complaints, only vanilla-y sweet sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting goodness! The secret? Well, there are a few secrets actually.
- There is cream cheese in the dough.
- I only used egg yolks.
- I chilled the dough overnight.
- I used powdered sugar when rolling out the cookies instead of flour.
- I didn’t roll the cookie dough too thin.
- I worked fast.
- Parchment paper for baking rather than a silicone mat (I don’t know why this made a difference it just did).
- I trusted my instincts (if the dough was too wet I added a little flour, if the frosting was too dry I added a little milk, etc.)
After making cut out cookies since I was a kid, I think that this will be the only recipe I use from now on! Thank goodness the search is over.
Fun Color Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 brick (8 oz) of cream cheese brought to room temperature
4 sticks unsalted butter brought to room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
Food Coloring drops
powdered sugar for rolling out cookies
Frosting:
1/2 brick of cream cheese (4 oz) brought to room temperature
1 stick of unsalted butter brought to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
In a large bowl, sift together flour and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until completely mixed together. Add granulated sugar. Scraping down the sides of the bowl, add egg yoke and vanilla and beat this mixture until a light texture is formed.
Finally, add flour and food coloring and mix until combined, remembering not to over mix. (NOTE: follow the food coloring instructions on your package, and remember you’ll be rolling out this dough so if there are a few streaks of color they will get worked in when you’re rolling the cookies.)
Chill this mixture in the refrigerator overnight. (NOTE: If you cannot chill overnight, chill for at least 4 hours.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
To roll out the cookies, dust the rolling surface, rolling pin and cookie cutters with powdered sugar. Take a small section of dough (putting the rest in the refrigerator to stay cold), roll out the dough to about 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch thick (I used my instincts here, but roll it out thicker than you usually would). Using cookie cutters cut shapes, and place on parchment lined baking sheets.
Bake for 9-12 minutes.
Remove from oven, and place cookies on cooling rack immediately to cool before frosting.
While cookies cool, make the frosting by mixing together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
Spread onto cookies, make cookie sandwiches, decorate with sprinkles, or eat the frosting directly from the bowl it’s up to you.
I’m telling you this will be the only cut out sugar cookie recipe you will ever need.
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