These sugar cookie cutouts are a staple in our home for just about any holiday, but especially Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. It’s a recipe that my mom discovered somehow when I was young, and I’ve carried it with me ever since! These are versatile enough that if you roll and cut them thick and bake for a short amount of time, they’re soft. But if you want a crisper cookie, just roll them a bit thinner and bake a tiny bit longer.

Sugar Cookie Cutout Recipe

1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks)

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3-1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Leave the butter out at room temperature until it’s soft. Place in a medium sized bowl with the sugar and whip with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla in and mix. Add all of the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low just enough to combine everything. Scrape the sides. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to let it rest and chill.

Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Divide the dough in half, leaving one half in the bowl. Sprinkle about 1/4 c. of flour on a clean, flat surface. Set the dough you’re rolling onto the flour, flip to cover both sides with flour, and work a bit into the dough. Sprinkle more flour on the surface to make sure the dough doesn’t stick. Using a rolling pin dusted with flour, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness for soft cookies, and slightly thinner for crisp ones. Cut into your favorites shapes using cookie cutters. Place on the cookies sheets, about 1 inch apart. Continue to scoop the dough scraps together and reroll and cut until all of the dough is used. Then, start on the other half of the dough.  Bake 6-8 minutes until the cookies are just golden on the bottom. Remove from the pan to a cooling rack. When they’re cool, frost with buttercream and top with sprinkles and sugars.

Fabulously Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temp
4 c. confectioner’s sugar
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3-4 T. milk

Put the soft butter in a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. {little hint here – the key to this frosting? LOTS of beating and whipping. That’s how it gets so light and fluffy.} Add 1 c. of confectioner’s sugar and beat until fluffy. Add a second cup of confectioner’s sugar and beat again. It should be getting really thick at this point, so add the vanilla extract and 1 T. of milk. Whip it until fluffy again. Repeat this until all the sugar and all of the milk is whipped in. It’ll be really light and fluffy when you’re done like this! {It’s a method referred to as alternating.}

Have fun and enjoy!