Ann's Crisp Sugar Cookies

These are roll-and-cut sugar cookies, the holiday classic for any cookie cutter project. Rolled thin to an eighth of an inch, they bake up crisp at the edges with the gentlest give in the center, perfect for stacking, decorating, or eating straight off the cooling rack.

A short chill in the fridge is what makes this dough behave. Cold butter firms up and the gluten relaxes, so the dough rolls out smooth without sticking or shrinking back. Skip the chill and you fight a sticky mess on the counter every time.

Flour the surface lightly and use a light hand on the rolling pin. Too much extra flour worked into the dough leaves the cookies tough and chalky.

Decorating is the fun part. Plain sugar cookies take royal icing beautifully, but a quick dust of powdered sugar is just as charming and lets the cookie itself shine.

Pro Tips

• Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid adding extra flour and keeping the surface mess free
• Re-chill scraps before re-rolling, warm dough turns sticky and tough fast
• Bake until just the edges turn golden, the centers should still look pale, they crisp as they cool
• Cool on the sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring, fresh-baked cookies are fragile and tear easily
• Store at room temperature in an airtight tin with a slice of bread to keep them from getting too brittle

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of almond extract along with the vanilla for a bakery-style flavor
• Sub lemon or orange zest into the dough for citrus sugar cookies
• Press a thumbprint in the center after baking and fill with jam for an easy variation