Cut Out Sugar Cookie REcipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour 450 grams
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks room temperature unsalted butter 1cup, 226grams
• 1 cup sgranulated sugar 200grams
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp baking powder optional – check the notes
• 1/2 tsp Almond Extract (optional)
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract (optional)

Instructions

1. Sift together flour (3cups), baking powder (1tsp) add salt (1/2tsp), set aside. 
2. In a small dish whisk together egg(1) and vanilla extract(1tbsp). If using whisk in almond (1/2tsp) and lemon extract(1/2 tsp), set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl cream together room temperature butter (1cup) and sugar (1cup), about 5 minutes, scrape the bowl twice. Butter creamed with sugar should be light creamy in color. 
4. Gradually add vanilla egg mixture, beating anywhere till well combined about a minute. 
5. Lower the speed of your mixer to low. Gradually in 3 additions add flour mixture. Scrape the bowl well after the last addition and beat on low speed until flour blended in. At this stage you'll see chucks of cookie dough. 
6. Dust a a large mixing bowl with 1 tbs flour. Scrape the cookie dough into bowl. Gather dough together. Using your hands knead the cookie dough for about 10-20 seconds, until dough comes together. Shape into a disk. 
7. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or 4hours(minimum) or speed up the process by placing it into the freeze for 
8. Preheat oven to 375F 
9. If you find that dough is hard as a rock, don’t panic. Quarter the dough. Take one piece and microwave on high for 5-8 seconds to soften it up a little, it should be super soft, just soft enough so you can roll it out, you’ll still need to apply little bit of pressure. Cut up remaining dough into smaller pieces, set aside. Place microwaved piece between your rolling guides, either between 2 pieces of parchment or if you have large silicone mat you can use it also ( for the guides you can use 2 painter’s sticks glued together on each side, or 2 pieces of 1/4inch wood rods will work great)
10. Cut out as many cookies as you can. Gather scraps and to the scraps add a fresh piece of cut up down you set aside. Re-roll and repeat until you are done with all the cookies. Place the cookies on a light colored baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the cut outs in the fridge for about 10 minutes, or in the freezer for 5.
11. Bake for 10-11 minutes, depending on the oven, turn the sheet once half way through the baking.
12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes, transfer to cooling rack.
13. Store in the airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze undecorated cookies between pieces of wax paper in a large freeze safe container, for up to 3 months.
14. Decorate cookies as desired with royal icing or other medium that you use.

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