Cookie Cutter Cookies are sturdy cut-out sugar cookies that are easy to roll out and handle. They only have five simple ingredients and come together nicely as long as you have room temperature butter. For the best results, the butter should be out for quite a while or it should have been placed in a warm spot so that it is super soft. Cold butter will not will not produce good results.
Try rolling out the cookie dough between two sheets of waxed paper instead of a floured surface. This makes it so much easier. When you use the wax paper, you will be able to roll the dough evenly through the paper. The cut cookies will also lift easily off the bottom sheet of the paper using a metal spatula.
Cookie Cutter Cookies are great cut-out cookies because they can be anything that you imagine them to be. Make them your own by choosing your cookie shapes for different events throughout the year. This is my go to holiday cookie. You can add food coloring right into the dough to create hearts, shamrocks, pumpkins, Christmas cookies or whatever you want your theme to be. Go find your favorite cookie cutters and give it a try.
Check out Cookie Glaze so you can decorate your cookies. It dries almost as hard as royal icing and does not have the risk of the raw eggs needed to create it. If you want to try another butter roll out cookie check out Jam Sandwich Cookies. You might also like Gingerbread Cookies.
SOME THINGS TO KNOW: FAQ’S
INGREDIENT TIPS:
- Like butter, eggs should be at room temperature to mix more uniformly into your batter, resulting in a more consistent cookie texture. Read Do You Really Need to Bake with Room Temperature Eggs?
- Invest in pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. Although it is more expensive than imitation vanilla, it offers a depth of flavor that can not be matched and enhances the overall taste of your cookies.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Mixing Bowl: A mixing bowl is needed for mixing the cookie dough.
- Electric Mixer: Either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. It can also be used for incorporating the egg and vanilla extract as well as the dry ingredients.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measuring tools are vital for baking. You will need measuring cups and a set of measuring spoons.
- .Rolling Pin: Necessary for rolling out the dough to an even thickness before cutting out shapes.
- Cookie Cutters: Available in various shapes and sizes, cookie cutters are used to cut the rolled out dough into desired shapes.
- Baking Sheets: Flat sheets are best for baking the cookies. Opt for light-colored or aluminum baking sheets to prevent the bottoms of the cookies from browning too quickly.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat: These are optional and can be used to line the baking sheets, preventing the cookies from sticking and ensuring easy cleanup.
- Offset Spatula: Helps in transferring delicate cookie shapes to the baking sheet without breaking them.
- Wire Cooling Rack: Allows air to circulate around the cookies as they cool, preventing them from becoming soggy.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Salted or unsalted butter will work equally as well in the recipe. If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per stick of butter to approximate the salted butter.
- You could replace the vanilla extract with almond extract, lemon extract, peppermint extract, coconut extract, banana extract, maple extract or orange extract.
- Substitute equal amounts of light brown sugar for the white sugar to add a slight molasses flavor and a bit more moisture to your cookies.
HOW TO STORE COOKIE CUTTER COOKIES:
- You can keep any leftover Cookie Cutter Cookies on a plate covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in a single layer for up to a week.
HOW TO FREEZE COOKIE CUTTER COOKIES:
- Cookie Cutter cookies will freeze well, either with or without the cookie glaze. Place them onto a baking sheet in a single layer and put them into the freezer.
- Once the cookies are frozen you can place them into an airtight freezer container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Defrost the cookies by placing them onto a wire rack until they come to room temperature.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined and fluffy.
Add the egg and the vanilla and mix together well.
Add the flour and mix on low until combined and the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl.
Take half of the dough and place it between two sheets of waxed paper. Place your roller over the top sheet of waxed paper and gently roll the dough in all directions, spreading it out as evenly as you can about ⅛” thick.
Cut the cookie shapes with your cookie cutters.
Line your baking sheet with either parchment paper or silicone mats. Place the cookies onto the baking sheet an inch apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Make a batch of Cookie Glaze and decorate the cookies.
Cookie Cutter Cookies
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Ingredients
- ½ pound salted butter (2 sticks)
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 and ½ cups all purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line your baking sheet with either parchment paper or silicone mats.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined and fluffy.
If you start with very soft butter this will come together very quickly. If the butter was not soft enough this will take several minutes in order to happen.
** Make sure your butter is so soft that it is shiny and looks like it is on the brink of melting!
Add the egg and mix to combine well.
Add the vanilla and mix in well.
Add the flour and mix on low until combined and the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl. You need the dry ingredients completely mixed in with the wet ingredients.
Take half of the dough and place it between two sheets of waxed paper. Place your roller over the top sheet of waxed paper and gently roll the dough in all directions, spreading it out as evenly as you can about 1/8 ” thick. Use cookie cutters to cut your cookie shapes as desired.
Use a metal spatula to lift the shapes from the waxed paper to your prepared baking sheet.
You can re-roll the scraps and add additional dough to the scraps. This dough blends easily and will not show any variations. Keep rolling, re-rolling scraps, and cutting shapes until you have used all the dough.
The wax paper can tear during the rolling process and will need to be replaced.
If you prefer to roll out the cookies on a floured work surface, lightly flour a board with as much flour as needed to make a thin coat. You may need to add a bit more flour to the top of the dough to avoid the roller from sticking.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. It is a good idea to turn the cookie sheet halfway through the baking process to avoid uneven baking. Bake until the cookies are a light golden brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let the baked cookies sit for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate your cutout cookies with cookie glaze, candies and sugar.
You can make Cookie Cutter Cookies for special occasions all year long. Color them red for Valentine’s Day.
Color them green for St. Patrick’s Day.
Make them into pastel eggs for Easter.
Cut them into turkey shapes for Thanksgiving.
Color them in festive colors for Christmas.
