Perfectly Shaped Classic Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Every Time!

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today we're diving into a recipe that's a true staple in my home classic cutout
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sugar cookies perfect for any occasion these cookies are versatile soft and
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hold their shape beautifully in the oven from birthdays to holidays they're a blank canvas for all your decorating
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creativity in this video you'll notice I'm making a double batch because this isn't just for fun it's part of my
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holiday baking Marathon I like to have plenty of cookies for gifting and freezing so doubling up is a must don't
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worry though the recipe in the description below includes measurements for a single batch to handle this larger
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quantity of dough I rely on my KitchenAid stand mixer it's a lifesaver
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for thick heavy batches if you're planning to double your batch too I highly recommend using
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a mixer with a larger capacity to make the process smoother I'm a Ena and I'm
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excited to share my favorite recipes and baking tips with you straight from my kitchen to yours my goal is to help you
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create treats that not only taste amazing but look incredible
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too in the description below you'll find links to all the tools and other recipes
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I mention so everything you need is just a click away let's Jump Right In and get
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started before anything else I like to get organized I measure out all my
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ingredients ahead of time and have my tools ready to go this step is key for a
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stress-free baking experience especially if you have little helpers in the kitchen I start with 2 and 1/2 cups of
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allpurpose flour to keep the cookies light and tender I recommend sifting the
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flour you can use a simple hand whisk to blend the flour or if if you want to go
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the extra mile sift everything through a sifter for an ultra smooth
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texture sifting helps eliminate clumps and air rates the flour which makes a
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noticeable difference in the final cookies next I add half a teaspoon of
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salt to the flour this small but essential ingredient balances the
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sweetness brings out the flavor of the cookies here's a tip if you want to
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ensure your cookies hold their shape even better try adding 1 tblsp of cornstarch cornstarch helps prevent
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spreading during baking giving you sharp clean edges on your cutout cookies it
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also adds a slightly softer texture to the dough making the cookies extra
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tender without compromising their structure whisk or sift everything
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together to ensure it's well combined and evenly distributed
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once everything is Thoroughly mixed I set the bowl aside ready for the next
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step in a separate Bowl I crack one large egg large eggs are ideal for this
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recipe as they provide just the right amount of structure to hold the dough together without making it too dry or
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sticky next I add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the egg vanilla is
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the star of sugar cookie flavors it brings a warm cozy sweetness that ties
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all the ingredients together and makes the cookies taste Timeless and irresistible I grab my whisk and blend
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the egg and vanilla together until the mixture is smooth and fully combined
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this step is quick but important to ensure that the egg is evenly distributed throughout the dough later
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on whisking also helps create a silky texture that makes mixing into the
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butter and sugar affords once everything is well mixed I
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set this bowl aside keeping it ready to join the party in The Mixing Bowl soon
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now it's time to bring out the big guns my KitchenAid mixer this trusty helper
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is an absolute Life Saver especially for recipes like this where the dough is
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thick and needs to be perfectly Blended I start by adding 1 cup of softened unsalted butter to The Mixing
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Bowl sof often butter is key here it's been sitting at room temperature just
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long enough to blend easily and create that light fluffy texture we're aiming for by the way if your butter isn't
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quite at room temperature yet check out my blog post on how to soften butter
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quickly it's packed with easy tips to save time and get that perfect creamy
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consistency for mixing next I add 2/3 of a cup of granulated sugar
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sugar not only sweetens the cookies but also works with the butter to build a
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delicate tender structure at this point the bowl is ready to go and so is my
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paddle attachment I set the mixer to low speed at first because let's be honest
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no one no one wants your sugar explosion flying
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all over the kitchen once everything starts to combine I gradually increase
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the speed to medium then I let the butter and sugar cream together for about 2 to 3 minutes this step is Magic
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it transforms the mixture into something light Airy and pale in color setting the
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stage for cookies that melt in your mouth [Music]
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I hope you're having a much fun making these cutout cookies as I am if you're
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enjoying this recipe be sure to give it a thumbs up subscribe and hit the
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notification Bell so you don't miss out on more delicious baking ideas have you
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made cutout cookies before how did they turn out got any tips or creative
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decorating ideas to share I'd love to hear from you thanks for hanging out
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with me let's get back to making these perfectly baked cookies [Music]
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cookies after creaming the butter and sugar I grab my trusty silicone spatula
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and scrape down the sides of the bowl this ensures no sneaky bits of butter or
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sugar are hanging out unblended in the corners it's a small step but it makes a
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big difference in the final texture of the dough
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[Music]
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now it's time to add the wet ingredients I pour in the egg and
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vanilla mixture that I whisked earlier back to medium speed on the mixer it
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goes and I let everything blend until it's smooth and fully Incorporated by now the batter smells so
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good it's hard not to grab a spoonful for quality control but patience the
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cookies will be worth it [Music]
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oh
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ch [Music]
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now it's time to bring in the dry ingredients and this is where the dough
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really starts to come together I add the dry mixture gradually about a third at a
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time while keeping the mixer on low speed this avoids the dreaded flour
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explosion I've had enough snowstorms in my kitchen and ensures everything Blends
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smoothly as the dough thickens here here's my go-to tip if it feels too
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sticky add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it's firm but
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pliable if it's too dry or crumbly a small splash of milk will fix it right
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up the dough should feel like soft clay smooth pliable and ready to roll a quick
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pinch test will tell you it's perfect if it holds together without cracking or
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sticking
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if you're looking for healthier alternatives to some of the ingredients in this recipe I've got you covered on
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my blog I've included a list of substitutions to make these cutout
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cookies a bit lighter while keeping them just as delicious whether you want to
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reduce sugar try whole wheat flour or adjust the butter you'll find all those
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options detailed in my post it's a great way to customize the cookies to fit your
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dietary needs or preferences check out the full recipe
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and the healthier substitutions on my blog the link is in the description below
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[Music]
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once it's just right I stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle attachment
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with a silicone spatula because no dough goes to waste here a quick check at the
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bottom of the bowl ensures no sneaky flower is Left Behind and I fold it in by hand if needed these little steps
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make all the difference when it's time to roll and cut your cookies
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[Music]
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next I carefully divide the dough into two equal portions a little Precision
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here saves me from having one massive disc and one tiny one later using a
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silicone spatula I scoop each portion onto a piece of food wrap here's my
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personal trick I Loosely wrap the dough first then press it into a flat disc
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this keeps my hands clean and avoids the sticky mess of handling the dough
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directly plus shaping the dough into discs now save so much time when it's
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time to roll out once the discs are neatly wrapped I pop them into the
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refrigerator to chill for at least an hour trust me this step is
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non-negotiable chilling the dough firms it up making it easier to roll out and
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ensuring your cookies hold their crisp clean edges during
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baking skipping this step has resulted in some shapeless blobs in my oven more
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times than I'd like to admit if you're not baking right away say prepping ahead
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for the holidays these dough discs freeze beautifully for up to 3 months
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just wrap them in an extra layer of plastic wrap or foil to prevent freezer burn my Pro tip always label your discs
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with the date and sugar cookie dough using a Sharpie there's nothing worse
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than pulling out a mystery dough and playing the guessing game mid Holiday Rush when you're ready to to bake simply
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throw the discs in the fridge overnight and they'll be as good as
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fresh there's a saying in my my house when words fail cookies speak and let me
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tell you cookies have gotten me out of a lot of sticky situations there's just something about
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a homemade batch of cookies that says I'm sorry in the sweetest way possible
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literally I remember one time when my daughter made a mistake she felt so bad and wasn't sure how to make things right
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that's when I had an idea we'd B cookies together as a way to
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apologize not only did it give her a chance to do something thoughtful but it
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also helped her process the situation and feel more in control we whipped up a
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batch of our favorite cutout cookies decorated them with bright cheerful
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designs baking cookies as an apology isn't just about making something delicious it's about showing someone you
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care enough to take the time and effort and honestly who can stay mad when
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they're holding a plate of beautifully decorated cookies it's a universal piece
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offering if you'd like to see how we make and decorate our cookies check out
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the video I created with my daughter it's one of my favorite videos because
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it shows how much fun we have in the kitchen while also teaching her how to
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turn a simple recipe into a meaningful gesture have you ever baked cookies to
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say I'm sorry or maybe you've used another creative way to
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apologize I'd love to hear your stories or tips in the comments below let's Inspire each other to make things a
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little sweeter one cookie at a time
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[Music]
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I like to start my holiday baking prep early usually in September it's a system
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I've perfected over the years to keep things stressfree during the busy holiday season first I make the dough
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and freeze it in neat labeled discs this sugar cookie dough fits perfectly into
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that process after dividing and wrapping it into discs I either refrigerate it
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for baking later in the week or freeze it if I'm planning ahead for the holidays each disc is carefully labeled
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with the date and sugar cookie dough using a trusty shoie so there's no
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confusion when I'm juggling batches of gingerbread dough and other holiday treats by October or November I'm in
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full baking mode pulling out discs of dough as needed and baking cookies in
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big batches if I'm not decorating them right away I freeze the baked cookies to
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keep them fresh finally December is all about decorating and packaging that's
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when the magic happens turning these cookies into festive gifts for family
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and friends chilling the dough is an essential step in my process it firms up
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the dough making it easier to roll and cut into shapes that hold beautifully in
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the oven I divide the dough into two portions scoop each onto a piece of food
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wrap with a silicone spatula Loosely wrap it and press it into a flat disc
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this keeps my hands clean and makes Rolling a breeze later on if I'm
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freezing the discs they'll stay fresh for up to 3 months ready to be thawed
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overnight in the fridge whenever inspiration or holiday prep strikes
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starting early takes the pressure off and lets me truly enjoy the holiday season seeing neatly stacked discs of
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dough and trays of cookies in my freezer is so satisfying it's like having my own little baking
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headquarters ready to go at any time whether you're a planner like me or prefer last minute baking this recipe is
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a must for any holiday lineup trust me it's worth the prep
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after the dough has chilled I take one disc out of the refrigerator here's a
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personal tip from me when you're ready to roll out your chilled dough let the disc sit on the counter for about 10
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minutes before diving in straight out of the fridge the dough can feel like a hockey puck thanks to all that butter
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giving it a little time to soften saves you from a serious arm workout and keeps your
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rolling pin and your sanity intact trust
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me your wrists will thank you before diving into rolling out your dough and
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cutting out cookies it's time to gather your trusty tools don't worry if you
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don't have the exact ones I mention there's always a simpler alternative hiding in your kitchen first first up
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are cookie cutters the stars of the show Fancy Cutters make perfectly shaped
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cookies but if you don't have any a drinking glass or an empty can works
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wonders for simple round shapes feeling creative grab a knife and
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freehand some designs but maybe don't expect a cookie Masterpiece on your
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first try next a cake spatula is your best friend for carefully lifting cut C
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cookies and transferring them to the baking sheet without stretching or tearing them if you don't have one a
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pancake spatula works just as well or even a wide knife will do the trick just
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go slow and steady this is cookie making not a race to get perfectly even dough
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every time an adjustable rolling pin with thickness Rings is ideal no
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adjustable pin no worries a wine bottle
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preferably empty or a traditional rolling pin works just fine just keep an
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eye on the thickness of your dough and try to keep it consistent for sticky dough situations disposable vinyl gloves
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come in handy to keep your hands clean and the dough mess free if you don't
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have gloves lightly flower your hands but fair warning flower covered hands
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usually mean flour covered everything else when it's time to bake you'll need
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a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to keep your cookies from sticking if parchment isn't an option a silicone
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baking mat Works beautifully in a pinch you can grease your baking sheet but be
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prepared for crispier cookie bottoms finally my favorite little
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helper a dread Shaker filled with allpurpose flour for dusting the rolling
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surface evenly no dread Shaker a sifter fine mesh strainer or even a light
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sprinkle by hand wool will work too it might just get a little messy but hey isn't that part of the fun once you've
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got your tools ready you're set to start rolling and cutting and if you end up with flour all over your kitchen like I
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always do just remind yourself that the best cookies come from a little bit of
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Chaos
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on a lightly flowered surface I roll the dough out to about 1/4 in thickness
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keeping the dough evenly rolled is essential so all the cookies bake at the same rate uneven thickness can lead to
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some cookies being underbaked While others burn so I take my time with this
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step I also like to group cookies of the same size on one baking sheet to ensure
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they bake evenly no tiny cookies overbaking while waiting for the larger
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ones to catch up then comes the fun part cutting out shapes I press my favorite Cutters into
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the dough to create festive designs making sure to use up every bit of space
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before Gathering the scraps to reroll once all the shapes are cut I carefully
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transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper I place each cookie
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with care leaving enough room between them for slight expansion during
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baking by the end of this process the baking sheet is filled with perfectly
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shaped cookies ready for the oven it's a satisfying moment to see all
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those neatly arranged designs waiting to bake knowing they'll soon turn into
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delicious [Music]
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treats here's a tip from me when lifting cutout cookies from the surface always
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remove the excess dough around the shapes first before lifting the cookies
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themselves this makes it much easier to slide your spatula or hands underneath
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the cookies without stretching or distorting their shapes if you try to
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lift the cookies with the extra dough still in place they're more likely to stick or lose their clean edges removing
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the extra dough first gives you a clean surface and ensures your cookies stap
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pict your
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perfect when I'm done cutting out cookies I never let the scraps go to waste I gather them up in my hands mash
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them back together into a disc roll them out again and cut more cookies I keep
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repeating this process until I've cut every possible shape from the dough it's
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a bit like a game how many cookies can I squeeze out of one batch when I get down to the last tiny
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scraps that just can't make another cookie I wrap them in food wrap and set them aside this keeps them from drying
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out while I grab the next fresh dough
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disc from the fridge after cutting out cookies from the new disc I combine the
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scraps from both rounds mash them together roll them out and keep going
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waste not want not right here's a tip I've learned the hard way if the dough
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starts sticking to your rolling pin and you feel like you're wrestling with it lightly flower the pin it makes
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everything Glide smoothly and keeps the dough from turning into a sticky Mass plus it saves you from wanting to
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throw the rolling pin across the kitchen don't ask how I know with this method
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method you'll get the most out of your dough and have plenty of perfectly shaped cookies ready to bake
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[Music]
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before baking I always chill the cutout cookies on the baking sheet for another
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10 minutes this quick step is especially helpful if your kitchen is warm it firms
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up the dough again so the cookies hold their clean edges while baking trust me
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it's worth the weight to avoid your carefully cut stars or gingerbread people turning into something that
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resembles ex ract art in the oven once chilled I bake the cookies in a
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preheated oven at 350° f for 8 to 10
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minutes I keep an eye on them to make sure the edges turn lightly golden while
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the centers stay soft the centers might look slightly underdone when you take
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them out but don't panic they'll firm up as they cool if you don't have a wire
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rack for cooling no worries just leave the
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cookies on the baking sheet until they're fully feel like cool it's not
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fancy but it works and you won't risk accidentally cracking a cookie during
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the transfer here's a tip I've learned
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through plenty of trial and error I always bake my first tray at the lower temperature mentioned
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in the recipe this gives me a chance to check on the cookies and adjust the time or
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temperature for the next batches if needed baking at high altitude comes with its own quirks so I've had to
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figure out what works best for me plus every oven has its own personality what
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bakes beautifully in one might come out a little too crispy in
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another let's just say I've had a few learning experiences along the way
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once baked and cooled you'll have cookies with crisp edges soft centers
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and that perfect homemade touch and hey if a few cookies look less than perfect
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just call them unique and eat them before anyone else notices that's the baker's privilege
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right while the cook cookies cool I like to get my decorating supplies ready
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these cookies are a blank canvas just waiting for your Creative Touch whether
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you're working with royal icing chocolate icing or even a simple dusting
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of powdered sugar if you're new to decorating with royal icing be sure to
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check out my video where I show you step by step how to flood cookies with royal
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icing for a professional finish trust me it's easier than it looks and the
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results are totally worth it here's another tip if you're not ready to
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decorate right away you can freeze the cookies while they're still undecorated just layer them between
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sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container and they'll stay fresh for for
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weeks then when you're ready to
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decorate whether it's next week or closer to a big event you can simp thaw them out and get to work this makes
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holiday baking a breeze especially if you're juggling multiple projects these
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cookies are as versatile as they are delicious whether you're planning
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intricate designs or keeping it simple they're the perfect foundation for
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whatever your creative heart desires just don't forget to save a few plain
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ones for taste testing because we all know that's the best part a

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Perfectly Shaped Classic Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Every Time!

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Perfectly Shaped Classic Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Every Time!

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