Sugar cookies are such a classic Christmas dessert, but some days I don’t have the time or energy to roll out dough or dig out cookie cutters, much less deal with icing and sprinkles. I just need a sugar cookie and I need it now (with a glass of eggnog while I’m at it). These simple, unadorned sugar cookies are soft in the center, delicately crisp around the edges, and are just about the best thing you’ll ever taste fresh out of the oven.
Beyond the mouthwatering flavor and texture, my favorite part about these Christmas cookies is that they’re ready in under an hour. My second favorite part is that the recipe only requires seven ingredients. If you’ve got the baking basics on hand, you’re all set! Now go make a batch.
What is the secret to soft sugar cookies?
It starts with the ingredients. These cookies contain a higher butter to flour ratio than other sugar cookie recipes, plus there’s two eggs in the dough. Both the butter and eggs add a lot of moisture to the cookies which contributes to their softness. The cookies also contain baking powder which gives them a light, caky texture. Another contributing factor is the size of these cookies. I use a 1/3 cup scoop to scoop them, so they’re quite large. Because of their size, they take longer to spread out in the oven, leaving you with soft centers. Whatever you do, don’t overbake these! (If you form smaller cookies, they’ll need less time in the oven.) Once the cookies start to look golden, pull them out. They’ll continue to set up on the baking sheet as they cool.
Can this recipe be used for cut-out cookies?
No, this recipe won’t work for cut-out cookies. The dough spreads when it’s baked which will cause the cookies to lose their shape. Use my favorite cut-out Christmas sugar cookies recipe instead.