How to Make Perfect Cutout Sugar Cookies

How to Make Perfect Cutout Sugar Cookies for Any Holiday Celebration Recipe. If you are looking for a perfect ‘cookie cutter’ recipe then look no further! This recipe will allow you to enjoy the ideal shortbread cutout sugar cookie better than store-bought ones. Read the post to find out why.

The Perfect Cutout Sugar Cookie

Have you ever made cookies with cookie cutters, only to find that when they come out of the oven they are indistinguishable? This recipe is great for cookie cutters and holds their shape beautifully. It allows the cookies to not only taste delicious but come out looking beautiful. For a fun twist, I added a secret ingredient that makes it extra special jump to the recipe to find out what it is!

Lofthouse Cookies Vs Homemade Sugar Cookies

We all know the tasty Lofthouse cookies are chock-full of harmful ingredients and therefore not good to consume. The list is long so I will address a few things that make these store-bought cookies worthy of not buying.

Sugar, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Margarine (Palm Oil, Water, Soybean Oil, Salt, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Mono And Diglycerides, Calcium Disodium EDTA [Preservative], Artificial Flavor, Annatto [Color], Vitamin A Palmitate), Eggs, Water, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Corn Starch, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Oil, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Modified Corn Starch, Polysorbate 60, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Nonfat Milk, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Dextrin, Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier), Colors (Red 3, Blue 1, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake), Carnauba Wax, Confectioner’s Glaze, Sodium Propionate (Preservative).

Enriched Bleached Flour

Flour does not need to be enriched with minerals, such as heavy metals. Plus, the bleaching process strips flour of any nutrients. Another thing to consider when buying non-organic flour is the amount of glyphosate it has.

Margarine

Palm Oil and Soybean Oil are rancid oils that wreak havoc on your gut and cause oxidative stress on your body. They will age you faster than you can eat one whole Lofthouse sugar cookie.

Preservatives

These harmful preservatives make these cookies shelf stable but make your innards toxic. The negative side-effects are cancer-causing and bring on early cognitive decline.

Toxic Dyes

Research has shown that Red 40 and other dyes are carcinogenic. We are thankfully inching closer to a new era of health standards where Red 3 just got banned in the US. This is a small step in the right direction.

Homemade Sugar Cookies (Valentine’s Edition)

Ingredients

• Organic unbleached, & non-enriched flour- With intact nutrients, this flour offers much value to your dessert!
• Baking Powder- adds a bit of fluff for that pillowy soft bite of buttery cookie
• Powdered Sugar- this key ingredient adds softness like a cloud
• Sugar- adds just a bit of sweetness
• Butter- makes the cookie ‘melt in your mouth’ good
• Vanilla Extract- the classic note of a simple sugar cookie
• Coconut Extract- This is the secret ingredient that brings in a nutty and fun twist for your tastebuds
• Organic farm fresh Eggs- adds protein and brings all the ingredients together
• Plant-based dye from red radishes- for festive fun frosting!
• Pink Sugar Sprinkles– a nontoxic splash of color
• 

The difference of homemade is literally life-changing; this is why I love sharing easy, homemade recipes for your and your family’s health!

How to Make Perfect Cutout Sugar Cookies

1. Make the dough.
   • In a large bowl, cream the butter, powdered sugar, and sugar together using a mixer or a hand mixer
   • Add eggs, vanilla, and coconut extract
   • Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl
   • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine to form a ball
2. Cut the dough in half and pat or roll it into two rectangles
3. Wrap the dough discs and place them in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours or overnight for better results!
4. When you are ready, take one dough disc at a time out of the fridge and roll it out into a larger rectangle to your desired thickness. Not too thick and not too thin! 1/4 inch thick should be perfect.
   • Tip: Keep the cookie dough cold so the cookies hold their shape when baking.
5. After working the dough and making cutouts, place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to transfer to the oven immediately
   • pop it in the freezer if they get too warm for a few minutes.
6. Bake at 350º F for about 10 minutes or just until lightly golden around the edges.
   • For a soft cookie, under-bake slightly at around 9 minutes. For a crispier cookie, allow a couple more minutes of baking time.
7. Place cookies on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting them
8. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from “Celebrating Sweets“.