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Every holiday, I make cut-out cookies—little works of art, which is funny because I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. Somehow, these cookies turn out beautiful.
The credit goes to this sugar cookie recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. The clever part? Rolling out the dough before chilling it. So much easier than wrestling with cold dough. Genius.
For Halloween, I use witches’ hats, pumpkins and spiderwebs, dressed in orange, olive green, and a little purple.
Why You’ll Love It
Buttery sugar cookies that hold their shape and give you a blank canvas for any holiday. Rolling the dough before chilling makes cutting out even those big witches’ hats easier. Decorate as simply—or ambitiously—as you like.
Sugar Roll-Out Cookies
Prep time: About 2 hours 30 minutes · Cook time: About 11-13 minutes · Total time: About 2 hours 45 minutes · Serves: About 10
A buttery roll-out sugar cookie recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, ready for your favorite cutters and a little decorating fun. Plan ahead—the rolled dough needs at least two hours in the fridge.
Ingredients
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
How to Make It
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes, until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and optional almond extract. Beat for about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed.
Mix the dough. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. If the dough is too sticky to roll, mix in 1 additional tablespoon of flour.
Roll, then chill. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half to ¼-inch thickness on lightly floured parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Prepare the baking sheets. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Cut out the cookies. Cut the chilled dough into shapes, rerolling the scraps as needed. Place cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake. Bake for 11–12 minutes, until set with lightly golden edges.
Pro Tips & Notes
Roll first, then chill. Don’t skip the two-hour chill—it makes the dough easier to cut and helps the cookies hold their shape.
Keep the thickness even. Roll to ¼ inch so the cookies bake evenly.
Let them cool completely before icing.
My icing preference: I use cream cheese icing. It’s a little trickier to decorate with than royal icing, but I think it tastes better. I’ll take flavor over a perfect spiderweb.
Made these cookies?
Share a photo on Instagram and tag @forthebirdsliving.
What to Serve With It
A cold glass of milk is hard to beat. Coffee or hot apple cider works, too. For our Halloween Dinner on the Patio, they’re the sweet finish.
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A Few Helpful Extras
The witches’ hat and spiderweb cutters do most of the artistic work for me. A little orange, olive green, and purple icing takes care of the rest.
One Last Thing
You don’t need an artistic bone in your body to make these cookies. Pick your shapes, mix a few colors, and have fun with it. Any mistakes are conveniently edible.
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