ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES
About thirty-six 2- to 3-inch cookies
This is the ideal dough for decorated sugar cookies, but they also have a lovely flavor without any icing whatsoever.
Beat in a large bowl, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until creamy:
- 2 sticks (8 oz or 225g) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (130g) sugar
Add and beat until combined:
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
- (Finely grated zest of 1 lemon)
Beat in:
- 1 large egg
Stir in until blended:
- 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Divide the dough into thirds, shape into disks, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line 2 baking sheets or cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, roll out ¼ inch thick. Cut out cookies using 2- or 3-inch cutters and arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and reroll one time to cut more cookies. If desired, sprinkle the cookies very lightly with:
- (Colored sprinkles, decorating sugar, or nonpareils)
Bake until the cookies are lightly colored on top and slightly darker at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes, switching oven racks and rotating the sheets halfway through. Let cool on the sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, decorate the cooled cookies with: