I've always refrained from calling a recipe on here 'the best' especially for something more common like a sugar cookie. I've baked these cookies for family and friends and throughout the years I've heard "these are the best sugar cookies" and "these are honestly my favourite sugar cookies" quite a few times... enough times that it boosted my ego enough for me to put that superlative in my recipe title.
Makes 15cookies
Ingredients
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
150g(2/3 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
50g(1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1large egg yolk, room temperature
2 tspvanilla
160g(1 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
1/4tspsalt
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
150g(2/3 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
50g(1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1large egg yolk, room temperature
1tspvanilla
135g(1 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
30g(5 tbsp_ cocoa powder
1/4tspsalt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed butter and granulated sugar, about 1 minute.
Add in egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Add flour and salt. Add cocoa powder if making chocolate version. Mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds
Lay down a piece of parchment paper and transfer dough to the parchment.
Lay a second piece of parchment over the dough and roll out dough to 1/4-inch in thickness. (Using two pieces of parchment eliminates the need to add extra flour to the dough)
If the dough is too soft at this point, transfer the rolled out dough to firm up in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Using cookie cutters of choice, stamp up cut outs.
Transfer the cut outs to the lined baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator or freezer to chill cut outs until firm — this will prevent spreading.
Bake for 11 - 14 minutes, until edges the bottom of each cookie is a light golden brown.
Wait 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.