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Soft Sugar Cookies with Almond & Vanilla Extract Recipe

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4.8 from 93 reviews

Soft Sugar Cookies are a delightful treat with a tender, fluffy texture created by a combination of butter and cream cheese. These cookies are perfectly thick, lightly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, and ideal for decorating with buttercream frosting or royal icing. The recipe involves chilling the dough before rolling and cutting, ensuring the cookies hold their shape and bake up soft rather than crispy.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 3/4 cup salted butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 & 3/4 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

Instructions

  1. Beat Butter: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until it is soft and fluffy.
  2. Add Cream Cheese: Incorporate the softened cream cheese and beat for an additional minute until fully combined.
  3. Add Sugar: Add the granulated sugar and beat well for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
  4. Add Egg & Extracts: Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat thoroughly, scraping the bowl sides with a spatula to ensure everything is mixed.
  5. Add Salt & Flour: Add the salt and flour, beating just until barely combined. Scrape the bowl and avoid overmixing to prevent tough dough. The dough will be sticky.
  6. Chill Dough: Transfer dough onto plastic wrap or into an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight; alternatively, freeze for 1-2 hours. Splitting dough speeds chilling.
  7. Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2-3 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
  8. Prepare Dough for Cutting: Lightly flour a work surface. If not split, cut dough in half; refrigerate unused portion. Flatten dough with floured hands and roll to about 3/8 inch thickness, maintaining thickness for soft cookies.
  9. Cut Cookies: Dust cookie cutters with flour and press firmly into dough. Clean excess flour/dough from cutter edges for clean shapes. Transfer cut cookies to baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
  10. Chill Cut Cookies: If dough warmed during shaping, chill shaped cookies briefly in the fridge or freezer before baking.
  11. Re-roll Dough: Gather scraps, knead lightly once or twice, roll out again to 3/8 inch, and repeat cutting. Refrigerate dough as needed to keep cool.
  12. Bake: Bake cookies at 350°F for 9 minutes (smaller cookies) or 10-11 minutes (larger cookies). Do not brown edges or tops; bottoms should be barely colored.
  13. Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container to cool completely before frosting.
  14. Frosting: Decorate cooled cookies with buttercream frosting or royal icing for best results.

Notes

  • Do not overmix dough to maintain a tender texture.
  • Cookies should be thick (about 3/8 inch) to ensure softness.
  • Keeping dough and shaped cookies cold prevents spreading and helps maintain shape.
  • Baking time varies with cookie size; watch carefully to avoid browning.
  • Use silicone mats or parchment paper to prevent sticking and achieve even baking.

Keywords: soft sugar cookies, butter cream cheese cookies, easy sugar cookie recipe, thick sugar cookies, holiday cookies, cut out cookies

Find it online: https://dylangranv.com/soft-sugar-cookies-with-almond-and-vanilla-extract-recipe/