Buttery Sugar Cookies
These Buttery Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery cookie and great for cut-out shapes! If you’re looking for a Sugar Cookie with cream cheese frosting that makes your mouth water, this dessert the one!
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SUGAR COOKIES
I’ve been watching other food bloggers snap pictures for Christmas recipes they’re already working on and I’m over here posting heart shaped cookies a month late. I did have the sense to decorate some of my Valentine’s cookies in green (per my son’s request) so technically they can be used for St. Patrick’s Day.
Or maybe I am actually just that far ahead and they can be used for Christmas in nine months. Speaking of Christmas, I talked to my mom yesterday and she’s finally taking down her Christmas tree…in March. Oh mom.
My friend Brittani has always hated almond flavored anything which makes me second guess if we can be friends. There’s nothing more in this world that I love than a really good sugar cookie with a nice touch of almond flavor in it. She was searching for a recipe for sugar cookies that actually taste good without almond flavoring.
This was a couple of years ago so I finally texted her and asked her if she ever found one she loved? She did! And loved it so much that she keeps it on her phone so that she always has access to it.
So I tried it and was buttery, soft, and delicious. But all I could think was I really want to add some almond flavoring to this to make it over the top delicious. So there you go. Now that you have all the facts, you make the decision about which way you want to go.
The texture of the dough reminds me of these Soft and Fluffy Sugar Cookies but the end result was a lot different. One trick I use to roll out sugar cookie dough is to do it between two pieces of parchment. That way you don’t have to use extra flour to prevent sticking which can make your dough dry.
Soft, thick, and buttery!
OTHER COOKIE RECIPES:
- Tried and True Sugar Cookie Recipe
- No-Bake Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Soft Sugar Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Maple Shortbread Cookies
- Sprinkle Cookies
- Cherry Kiss Cookies
- S’mores Thumbprints
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla
- (optional) 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- milk as needed, (start with 1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla, almond extract (if using), and eggs. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add it to the wet mixture, mixing until incorporated. Chill dough in the fridge for at least an hour.
- To make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a floured surface until desired thickness. The dough will be wet so use enough flour to make it workable. I roll mine to about 3/8 inch because I like them thick.
- Use cookie cutter for desired shapes. Bake on parchment paper for 8-12 minutes depending on your thickness and oven. You want the edges to barely turn a golden brown but the cookie should still be white. Let cookies cool on sheet. Once cooled frost.
- For the Frosting: Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and the powdered sugar, and the milk adding more if needed. Beat until fluffy! Frost cookies.
Notes
NOT FOR SHAPES. I chilled the dough overnight and worked with it immediately upon taking from the fridge. I’m not a novice baker, and usually my doughs come out excellent, but the idea of rolling and using this dough for shapes was misleading here. I used TONS of flour on top of my silicone mat and oiled and floured my cookies cutters and it stuck horribly everywhere no matter what I did. The shapes I did manage came out looking like abstract renditions of the original shapes. I ended up rolling into a log, re-chilling, and then using string to slice right from the log.
For standard drop, or making a cookie log it works, and the flavors are good, but really disappointing to not be able to get the shapes I was intending with this dough.
These were dry and puffy. I like chewy cookies. Maybe omit some of the baking powder? Frosting was creamy. Takes time to set. Not really a fan of cream cheese for cookies. I think use butter in the frosting and shortening in the cookies? Not a fan. The chickens will love them!
Are these good to ship? Looking to send some valentines to my son in college and looking for a good sugar cookie that ships well. If not these, which do you recommend?
Yes these ship well. Throw a piece of bread in there to keep them soft.
Hi! How much milk do I add to the frosting?
Oooops I see it now!
Just add a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is to your desired consistency.
I love making these. I like how wet they are can easily add a little more flour to roll them out.
Thank you!
These worked perfectly for me. You just have to make sure you chill them. I chilled for 4 hours.
Thanks for the tip!
I made this recipe today and the cookie dough came out WAY TOO WET. I don’t know what, if anything I am going to be able to do with it, but it’s too wet to use with cookie cutouts. I am hoping I can use with my cookie gun.
It’s definitely a wet dough but you need to chill it. Did you chill it?
This sounds so amazing!
Do these need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese in the frosting? Thanks!!!
Not at all. They’re fine at room temp.
i LOVE using almond extract in my sugar cookies. It takes the flavor to the next level. I’ll have to give your recipe a try!
I totally agree.
Oh, I must try these! Do you think they would work somehow as drop cookies rather than cutouts? I’m lazy and don’t want to roll them out 🙂. On a side note, I can relate to your mother! My Christmas tree just went down a week ago! Love your blog!!
Haha. So I haven’t tried them as drop cookies so I couldn’t tell you for sure.