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Learn to make cut out heart shaped cookies with this classic sugar cookie recipe. This is the best old-fashioned recipe for cut out cookies. Perfect to make with your children or grandchildren to create memories.

Cut out sugar cookies are my favorite cookie to bake. There is a cookie cutter for just about every holiday and theme, making them perfect for all occasions. Cut out sugar cookies can easily be customized using color, then personalized with names and monograms, making them a party favorite. So much room for creativity! I have been making this recipe for the last 45 years, and first started using it back in the 4th grade!

I really love to make heart shaped sugar cookies, especially around Valentine’s day. I even found the perfect shade of pink to color the icing using beet kvass! If you aren’t making beet kvass you should because it offers many health benefits.

These heart shaped cookies are the perfect companion to afternoon tea. During the cooler season I have afternoon tea daily while looking at my Victoria Magazines. These magazines are so beautiful, and I have been subscribing to it from the very beginning. Subsequently each month I gather all the years of that particular month and look through all of them.

CAN I CUT OUT COOKIES WITH THIS CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE?

Yes, this recipe is the absolute best recipe for cutting out shaped cookies. You can find the perfect cookie cutter shapes to coordinate with your holiday celebrations, a baby shower, a wedding, or my favorite, afternoon tea.

IS THIS THE BEST CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE?

After 45 years of making this recipe I can vouch that it is the best.

IS THIS AN EASY RECIPE FOR CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES?

This recipe can be made the day you plan to bake, the day before bake day, or you can also freeze the cookie dough for up to two weeks. You will be successful if you roll chilled dough and always flour the rolling pin. Moreover, if you keep the dough turning when you roll sugar cookie dough this will help avoid the dough sticking to the counter. Please watch our video to learn how to roll sugar cookie dough.

CAN THE COOKIE DOUGH BE FROZEN

Yes, I often freeze the cookie dough for a couple of weeks, especially during the Christmas holiday season. I like to shape the cookie dough into flat disk so they stack on top of one another, making storing efficient.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

4 cups flour (I use organic unbleached all-purpose flour)
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups of unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of milk

For the icing:

butter-1 tablespoon
milk-1 tbsp. or more if needed
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agave syrup – this helps add smoothness and shine
1 tsp. of beet kvass (use more or less to get desired shade of pink)
Use milk to adjust consistency of icing or add more confectioners sugar if needed.

TIPS TO HELP YOU MAKE THE BEST CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Use room temperature butter.
Divide the dough into 4 parts, this will help to avoid the dough getting too soft to roll
Chill the dough several hours before rolling and cutting the cookies
Only roll chilled dough
Flour will keep the dough from sticking to the counter
The dough should be turned slightly while rolling out the dough so make sure to see the video for a demonstration.
A well floured rolling pin will keep the dough from sticking
The icing is much easier to apply to the cookies if you make the icing thin (more like a glaze)
Line your cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper. This will help you slide the cookies off of the cookie sheet.
Cool the cookies on a wire rack. This works great when icing the cookies as well. If you put a cookie sheet under the rack to catch icing drips this will save you some clean-up time.

HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH

Step 1

Mix the dry ingredient – 4 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt

Step 2

Cream the 1 1/4 cups of unsalted butter, then add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar, cream until light and fluffy
Add 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Step 3

Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture in 3 increments (Only mix until combined to avoid developing gluten)

Step 4

Chill dough in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before rolling out cookies

Step 5

Roll cookies to 1/8 inch and cut out shapes using cookie cutters, then place on an unbleached parchment lined cookie sheet

Step 6

Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges in a 375 degree oven

Step 7

Let cookies cool a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet then slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a cooling rack

Step 8

Cool completely, then glaze with icing

EASY ICING FOR CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES

Melt butter, add milk, syrup, and vanilla, then whisk in powdered sugar. Most importantly, add milk to get a thin glaze type icing because this makes frosting the cookies easier. To get this beautiful pink I used Beet Kvass. I hope you keep a supply of beet kvass in your refrigerator because it is a super nutrient-dense food and creates a gorgeous pink color for your sugar cookies. If you would like to make beet kvass please watch our video.
To decorate the cookies I used Bob’s Red Mill’s sprinkling sugar. I tend to keep my cut out sugar cookies simple, but the sky is the limit for all the ways you can decorate these cookies.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Dough:
4 cups flour (I use organic unbleached all-purpose flour)
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups of unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of milk
Sugar Cookie Icing:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tbsp. milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agave syrup-this helps add smoothness and shine
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. of beet kvass - use more or less to get desired shade of pink
*Use milk to adjust consistency of icing or add more confectioners sugar if needed.