Galletas de azúcar fáciles
Soft in the center with delicately crisp edges, these buttery sugar cookies hold their shape for cutouts yet stay tender for days. One bowl, no chilling required, and a foolproof crumb that takes glaze or sprinkles beautifully.
Cream softened butter with sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in one egg and vanilla, then mix in flour, baking powder, and salt just until a soft dough forms. Scoop or roll and cut, then bake at 375°F (190°C) for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are barely set but the centers still look soft. No chilling is required because the dough is firm enough to handle straight from the bowl, and pulling the cookies while pale keeps them tender.
- Cream the butter and sugar a full 3 minutes: that aeration is what makes the cookies soft rather than dense.
- Pull them at 9 to 11 minutes while the centers still look underdone; they finish setting on the hot sheet.
- No chilling needed for scooped cookies; chill the dough 20 minutes only if you roll and cut shapes.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Rimmed baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop or rolling pin
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredientes
Cookie dough
- 226 g unsalted butter, softened, room temperature, still cool to the touch
- 200 g granulated sugar
- large egg, room temperature
- 10 ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 ml almond extract, optional, deepens flavor
- 345 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 6 g baking powder
- 3 g fine salt
For finishing (optional)
- 50 g granulated or sanding sugar, for rolling, for sugared tops
- rainbow sprinkles or simple glaze, to decorate
Elaboración
- PASO01
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. A hot, fully preheated oven is what gives these cookies their clean set edges.
- PASO02
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides once. Do not rush this; the trapped air is what keeps the sugar cookies soft.
- PASO03
Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Beat on medium until fully combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. The mixture may look slightly separated; it will come together with the flour.
- PASO04
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low just until no dry streaks remain and a soft, cohesive dough forms. Stop the moment it comes together to avoid toughening the cookies.
- PASO05
For drop cookies, scoop level 1.5-tablespoon (30 g) balls, roll in granulated or sanding sugar if you like, and space 2 inches (5 cm) apart. For cutouts, roll the dough 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick between parchment, chill 20 minutes, then cut shapes and transfer to the sheets.
- PASO06
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack, or two sheets rotated halfway, for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and barely golden but the centers still look soft and pale. Rotate the sheet front to back at the 6-minute mark for even color.
- PASO07
Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes; they finish cooking and firm up here. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing or stacking.
Make ahead
The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, tightly wrapped; let it soften at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before scooping. Shaped dough balls or cut shapes freeze well for up to 3 months, arranged on a tray until solid then bagged. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Storage
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; tuck in a slice of sandwich bread to keep them soft. Glazed cookies keep best in a single layer or separated by parchment. Freeze baked, unglazed cookies for up to 3 months.
Variations
Cut-out cookies for decorating
Omit the sugar rolling. Roll the dough 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, chill 20 minutes, and cut shapes. Bake 8 to 10 minutes and cool fully before flooding with royal icing or a simple powdered-sugar glaze.
Lemon or citrus
Beat 1 tablespoon of lemon or orange zest into the butter and sugar, and swap the almond extract for an extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Bright and fragrant, especially with a citrus glaze.
Brown butter
Melt and brown the butter, then chill until it firms to a soft-solid before creaming. It adds a nutty, caramel depth; chill the finished dough 30 minutes since browned butter softens the mix.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Preguntas frecuentes
Why are my sugar cookies spreading too much?
Excess spread usually means the butter was too warm or the oven wasn't fully preheated. Use butter that is soft but still cool to the touch, measure flour by spooning and leveling (or weigh it), and chill the shaped dough 15 minutes if your kitchen is warm. A hot 375°F (190°C) oven sets the edges of the sugar cookies before they can flatten.
Do I need to chill sugar cookie dough?
Not for scooped drop cookies; this dough is firm enough to shape and bake right away. Chill only if you're rolling and cutting shapes, where a firm dough gives clean edges, or if your dough feels soft from a warm kitchen.
How do I keep sugar cookies soft?
Pull them from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone and let them finish setting on the hot sheet. Store cooled cookies airtight with a slice of bread, which releases just enough moisture to keep them tender for days.
Can I make these without a mixer?
Yes. Use very soft butter and beat vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula for a few minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy, then work in the dry ingredients by hand until a smooth dough forms.
Why are my cookies dry or tough?
That's almost always too much flour or overmixing. Weigh the flour if you can, and stop mixing the moment the dough comes together with no dry streaks. Overbaking also dries them out, so err toward the shorter time.
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