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READY IN 3 hr

Soft Christmas Cookies

Read Reviews (807)

"Soft cut out sugar cookie that I have used for years. I sprinkle with colored sugar before baking or you could also try icing them when cool." — Georgie Bowers

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Original recipe makes 4 dozen Change Servings

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Directions

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 8 mins
READY IN 3 hrs

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WONDERFUL! For a perfect, soft sugar cookie, the following small modifications will get you there...use butter instead of marg, and melt it over the stove. It helps to dissolve the sugar, and to help sugars and butters cream better. Use only 3 cups flour. Finally, oven temp at 350 and baking cookies for 8-10 minutes keeps it soft. Lining with parchment paper also helps. Keep an eye out...they will seem too pale to remove from the oven, but just when the center doesn't look "wet" anymore, it is done. They still bake for 2 or so minutes, so they will darken up a little and be perfect. FYI--when rolling these out, keep the dough nice and thick...the cookie will be crisp (still good)if it is too thin.

—TARA1972

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Aug 02, 2011

These really were perfect for cut-out cookies. I had no problem rolling out the dough and they kept their shape nicely. The texture was spot on. However, by themselves they aren't stellar in the taste department and definately benefit from an icing of some sort. Regardless, I will be using this recipe alot. I may add a 1/2 tsp almond extract or some orange zest or something to spruce them up. Thanks for sharing!

—BakingLikeCrazy

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1,012 Ratings

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Dec 25, 2003

These cookies came out soft, fluffy, and delicious. The dough was simple to make and easy to work with. However IMO, some adjustments are necessary to make this recipe perfect: 1) Only add 3 cups of flour to the dough, then use 1/2 cup to roll them out. 2) Use butter instead of margerine to give them better flavor and texture. 3) Bake them at 350 degrees instead of 400 to let them puff up and make them softer. Make sure not to roll them too thin or overbake them. They should have only a trace of brown around the edges. Enjoy :)

—MARLALP

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Dec 22, 2003

these cookies puffed up nicely and held their shape when using cookie cutters. Very buttery and not overly sweet. They tasted wonderful with just a bit of colored sugar sprinkled on top. I did add some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tablespoon of molasses and used half white sugar and half brown sugar to one batch to make snicker-doodles and they turned out great. This is a wonderful sugar cookie recipe that can be used as base for many kinds of cookies. I am a professional pastry chef and have access to many recipes and this is one of the best I have come across.

—SOUTHERNBELLE0908

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Aug 02, 2007

FANTASTIC! I have made these MANY times now, and they are always well-received. I do make some recommended changes: butter instead of margarine, 3 1/3 cups flour and sub 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup powdered sugar for the 1 1/2 cups white sugar called for. I also use powdered sugar - as opposed to flour - when rolling them out. These are easy to handle, and hold up FABULOUSLY . . . tasting great even a week later! I use the Sugar Cookie Icing on this site, and they always look amazing. A side note: the first time I made these I made a batch of this recipe AND a batch of the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies, and these were by FAR better - both in texture and taste.

—TwoDCsPlus1

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Dec 16, 2003

I have been trying to find the perfect cut out cookie recipe and this is the best so far. Like some others I also used butter and I cut back the flour to 3 cups. I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and divided it in two as it made it easier to work with. I reduced the heat to 350 and cooked the cookies approximately 10 minutes. Be sure you don't roll out the dough too thin or they will be a harder crispier cookie. I used Barbara's Butter Icing for Cookies and it was excellent. These definitely rate 5 stars

—NANACHEF

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Dec 21, 2002

This is the first time I ever successfully made sugar cookies. They were wonderful. I did follow recommendations of reducing flour to 3 cups, oven temp to 350 and used butter instead of margarine.

—Cathy

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Dec 19, 2007

These cookies definitely lived up to all the great reviews. They were soft and chewy long after being cooled. I do regret icing the cookies since they were a little sweet for my taste afterwards. I didn't chill the dough since I made use of a cookie press, which proved to be a time and mess saver. Thanks for the great recipe!!! I just made these again and I had to come back to say that they were perfect using cookie cutters. I followed the recipe exactly, except I refrigerated the dough overnight and cooked the cookies for 9 minutes at 350*F. Delicious!

—kbtvs

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Nutrition

Calories
97 kcal
5%

Carbohydrates
13.8 g
4%

Cholesterol
9 mg
3%

Fiber
0.3 g
1%

Protein
1.3 g
3%

Sodium
81 mg
3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Soft Christmas Cookies

Serving Size: 1/48 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 48
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 97
Calories from Fat: 36

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g 6 %
Saturated Fat 0.7g 4 %
Cholesterol 9mg 3 %
Sodium 81mg 3 %
Potassium 16mg < 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 13.8g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 0.3g 1 %
Protein 1.3g 3 %
Sugars 6.4g
Vitamin A 4 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 1 %
Iron 5 %
Thiamin 8 %
Niacin 7 %
Vitamin B6 < 1 %
Magnesium < 1 %
Folate 10 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.