Easiest Cut-out Sugar Cookies

I hope everyone had an amazing Easter! We sure did here in Chicagoland because it was 75 degrees and sunny! So beautiful. Spring has arrived, people are getting vaccinated for Covid-19, let’s get this show on the road! The show being life as we know and love it.

I made these sugar cookies for Easter and I’m so happy I found the perfect recipe! They are so easy and equally delicious, this is my new go-to cut-out. Some may say you do not need to chill the dough before rolling it out, but I say 30 minutes is key. Me and a room temperature dough do not get along. So, here we go… put on those aprons and let’s get started 🙂

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Cookie cutters in desired shapes

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling)

In a bowl (I used my hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in extract and egg until combined. Add in baking powder and salt and beat until combined. I know! Different than your typical recipe. Last, slowly beat in flour 1 cup at a time until dough forms.

Seperate the dough into 2 discs and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. No more, no less.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly flour your work surface. Take out 1 disc of dough and roll to desired thickness. Thinner for a crispy cookie, thicker for a soft cookie.

Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Store covered at room temp or in the fridge. Enjoy!

Candy Cane Cookies

Merry Christmas beauties! I made this post just in time! I’ve been baking like crazy over here and I’m just about done! Tomorrow I’m going to make an ugly sweater cake. Stay tuned to my Instagram to see how that turns out.

Anyway, about these candy cane cookies! So adorable, right?! My Aunt Lynn usually makes them every year for our family but since Covid…. you know…. I decided I would try to make them! I think they turned out ok but not sure if they taste exactly like my Aunts. Oh well! We’ll make do. They are actually pretty simple to make, the dough is great and easy to handle. The tough part is twisting and shaping into candy canes and making them all the same size. As you will see below, it’s not perfect but I don’t care! They bake up pretty good so just do the best you can.

I’ve heard that some people use almond extract in the dough, instead of the peppermint but for these I wanted them to be really minty just like a candy cane! Plus, I already baked another cookie with almond flavor so I didn’t want 2 cookies tasting the same. I only made 4 different Christmas cookies this year so we needed some variety.

All right, let’s get going so you can make these in time! Go ahead and start your ovens.

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red food coloring
Crushed candy canes + tablespoon granulated sugar

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs and both extracts and beat until incorporated. Slowly add in flour mixture until dough forms.

Remove half the dough and put in plastic wrap and in the fridge. With the remaining dough, beat in red food coloring until you reach desired color. Then place that in plastic wrap and in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

In a small bowl, stir crushed candy canes and granulated sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After the dough has chilled, take about a teaspoon of each color of dough and roll on a clean, dry surface (you may need some flour if the dough is sticky). Make sure both colors are the same length, then twist and form into a candy cane. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Fill cookie sheet with 6-8 cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to brown on the edges.

As soon as the come out of the oven, sprinkle with the candy cane mixture. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue until you use all of the dough.

Store covered at room temp. Enjoy!

Again, just do your best and have fun with it! Have a very Merry Christmas!

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

It’s that time of year guys! Everything is pumpkin! And these cookies are perfect for sugar lovers everywhere 🙂 To me, they are the perfect fall cookie with a pumpkin spice flavor and powdered sugar glaze on top. Bonus, they are easy to make! So go get a pumpkin spice latte, turn on your oven and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar (plus more for flattening)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

For the glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and spice. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, pumpkin, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs until combined. Slowly pour in the flour mixture until dough forms.

Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and flatten using the bottom of a glass. See picture below.

Press the bottom of the glass in sugar before pressing down the cookies so it doesn’t stick. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cool a minute on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

While cookies are cooling, stir together all ingredients to make the glaze. Drizzle over the cooling cookies. The glaze will harden after about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp or in the fridge.

CRISPY Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have so many chocolate chip cookie recipes but none that are crispy! And who doesn’t love a crispy cookie?! My dad LOVES a crispy cookie so I tried my best to find out what makes a cookie, crispy. There are so many different ingredients and techniques needed to create the perfect cookie and I still have not found it. Unfortunately when I made these, it was humid and rainy out and weather actually plays a factor in baking! Who would have thought? However, they are still good and I will share my recipe with you and also what to do if you want a more crispy cookie.

So, before the recipe, here are some key things to know if you want a crispy cookie:

Use more white sugar than brown sugar.
Do not chill the dough.
Bake for 2 minutes or more than you would a normal cookie.
Do not use too many eggs.
Make sure your kitchen is dry and cool. No humid weather!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes (or longer if you want a super crispy cookie). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Quarantine Cookies

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Since we are all inside at home (except those amazing people who are out there keeping us safe. I’m talking about you nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters, etc etc etc), let’s bake! These cookies are oatmeal chocolate chip, however the dough is so versatile that you can add whatever you have on hand! No need to make an extra trip to the grocery store because let’s face it, that’s a scary place to be right now. I mean, it’s like the only place open, everyone is all masked up just getting food and other essentials trying to survive!

I can’t wait for life to get back to normal even though I know it’s going to be a while so…. I bake. I’ve already made about 5 batches of banana bread and banana muffins and my family is OVER that. So, cookies it is! Go ahead and start your ovens and let’s bake.

The recipe below is what I used. However, you can add walnuts, pecans, cranberries, raisins, different kinds of chocolate. The list goes on and on so just add what you like. Also, you can easily double it if you are sharing with family and friends 🙂

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl, beat together butter and both sugars until soft and creamy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add in flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and other add-ins.

Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temperature.

Peanut Butter Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Quarantined and bored. Anyone else? I’ve been baking a ton of course, but mostly things that I already have a blog post for. I know I have several peanut butter and peanut butter and chocolate recipes but I don’t think I have quite a cookie like this one. These are so good and my husbands favorite combination. Always easy to make and everyone in your family will love! Especially in a time when we are all cooped up at home, and getting sick of each other, why not bake together and then enjoy it together?! So, without further typing, let’s bake!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I used half a 12 oz. bag of Nestle semi sweet)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. I another large bowl, beat together the sugar, peanut butter and butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, egg and milk and beat until combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfulls onto prepared cookie sheet. Press with the tines of a fork to get that staple peanut butter cookie look. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow to cool a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies

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Wow, happy 2020 everyone! So there’s a reason why I’ve taken so long to make a post and that is….. my oven broke! Ugh, it was awful. Since the summer, my oven just wasn’t acting normal, not holding temperature. None of my bakes were coming out right. And finally it just wouldn’t get hot. It would turn on, but then shut off without getting to the correct temp. So, thanks to YouTube and my amazing husband, he found the problem, bought the part and fixed it! Hooray! Back to normal thank God. It was the ignitor if people are curious and care.

Ok so these cookies are obviously so good and I’ve made them many times. I thought I posted the recipe but apparently not so here we are. White chocolate chips surrounded by brownie-like goodness. So go ahead and start your ovens and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until soft and creamy. Add in vanilla and eggs and beat until combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfulls onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

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Yesterday I made regular, tasty, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. Today I bring you chocolate shortbread cookies!Just as delicious, still Christmasy and perfect for your holiday cookie exchange. Change it up with sprinkles and a drizzle of chocolate and make someone smile 🙂

So go ahead and start those ovens! Another cookie is ready to be made…

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled if needed

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Sprinkles, chocolate, other decorations of your choice

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa. In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until soft and creamy. Slowly beat in flour mixture until dough is formed.

Place dough in plastic wrap and roll into a log. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut log into 1/4 inch cookies and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, dip in chocolate and decorate with sprinkles. Or decorate by melting white chocolate and drizzling that over top. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp or in the fridge.

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

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Happy holidays everyone! Christmas sure did sneak up on us, didn’t it! It’s a week away! To kick off the baking season, I did these super simple, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. They are so delicious and perfect for a cookie exchange because you can decorate them however you want with sprinkles or dip in chocolate and then they look like different cookies! So quick and easy to make, I hope you like these as much as I do!

So, go start your ovens, blast some Christmas music and let’s bake!

Note: You can easily double this recipe and store the dough in plastic wrap for later use. Also note that you should refrigerate the dough for a bit to make it more manageable so allow that extra time when you start baking.

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Sprinkles, chocolate or other decorations of your choice.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch. In another large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Slowly add in the flour mixture until dough is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Roll dough in hands by tablespoonfull and drop on prepared cookie sheet. Press with fork dipped in powdered sugar so it won’t stick. Add sprinkles if using. Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store covered in the fridge or at room temp. Enjoy!

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