American Sugar Cookies Recipe, tried and tested for the UK

ooh might try this with Jean tomorrow if we're feeling up to it 

Okay, gonna try this today! I'm just making some snowflake cookies with white icing (both recipes by Mrs C!) Will let you get on. I've never, ever been able to make cut-outs previously, so I really hope this works!

Cait, how long do these last? If I make them today, will they still be yummy sunday? Not a quickly drying out kind of recipe??

Awww, man. Utter failure, once again.  I followed the instructions and rolled the dough out onto the floured parchment paper and cut the shapes, but it completely stuck to the paper and just ended up a huge mess when I tried to pull off the shapes. I couldn't get the dough off the paper to re-roll it. I'm so hopeless! I guess I will just stick with regular drop cookies like I normally do. I love rolling out pastry, I don't understand why I can't seem to do cookies, but I just can't seem to win, no matter what I do! But, the dough smells amazing, and since I only rolled out half of it, I just rolled the other half into little balls and trying to bake them off now, hopefully that will work out and I can at least eat some non-snowflake cookies!

It's really a shame, as I have the most gorgeous set of snowflake cookie cutters, and now I have all the egg white powder and everything for the icing, too. Can I use that icing recipe for muffins and cakes, etc.? I may just stick to that sort of baking from now on and just get rid of these cutters. 

Sounds like your dough is too warm?

I make cut-outs but with a different recipe and it has always worked for me here.  But I am not great at pie crusts.   

Cait, how long do these last? If I make them today, will they still be yummy sunday? Not a quickly drying out kind of recipe??

Should do, yes!  You can keep them a week or so.

If you use that icing recipe I posted, I find that it actually keeps the cookies quite soft.  I find that the cookies are a bit hard before iced, but after the icing is applied and set, it actually softens them up.

Oh, Jewlz, I'm so sorry you are having problems.  Do you still have the dough?  We can try to rescue it.

The dough should be a bit sticky, but not so sticky that you can't handle it.  If that does happen, add a bit more flour to your dough (bit a time), work it (knead) in until you can handle the dough without it sticking to your hand.  Sometimes I do have to add a bit more flour before rolling out.

Do keep trying and let us know how you get on.  Will try to help you through it.

BTW, I use Sainsbury's brand plain flour.  Not the econo brand, but normal store brand.

Oh, Jewlz, I'm so sorry you are having problems.  Do you still have the dough?  We can try to rescue it.

The dough should be a bit sticky, but not so sticky that you can't handle it.  If that does happen, add a bit more flour to your dough (bit a time), work it (knead) in until you can handle the dough without it sticking to your hand.  Sometimes I do have to add a bit more flour before rolling out.

Do keep trying and let us know how you get on.  Will try to help you through it.

BTW, I use Sainsbury's brand plain flour.  Not the econo brand, but normal store brand.

It's okay, I got too frustrated, I couldn't get it off the paper to even try to re-roll it. I will try adding more flour next time (if I try again), until it's less sticky. But I did bake the remaining dough off by rolling it into little balls, and then patting them with the back of a spoon and they are delicious, if not festive (I should've rolled the balls in cinnamon sugar and made snickerdoodles!)  I used McDougall's fine flour, not sure if that made a difference or not. 

The dough is chilling.... Ill be decorating and cutting out with the boys later on, possibly tomorrow? Let's see if I screw it up - I'm much better at cooking than I am at baking!

I'm a really lazy baker and just make my sugar cookies in circles, but these look so lovely I may just try making some more over the Christmas vacation with this recipe.  Thanks Mrs C!

Mrs C, I will be using your method this week to make goat cookies for a party on Friday... sugar cookies, in the shape of a goat cookie cutter I got in Germany.  It's not overly intricate, but does have horns, a beard and a tail, which I don't want to lose due to 'spread'!

Wish me luck?  

Oh, btw... this thread came up in a general Google search for sugar cookie recipes.  I'm pleased to know it's tried and tested by someone who actually KNOWS!

sugar cookies, in the shape of a goat cookie cutter I got in Germany.  It's not overly intricate, but does have horns, a beard and a tail, which I don't want to lose due to 'spread'!

You have a goat cookie cutter? That is awesome!!! I want one! 

Mrs C, I will be using your method this week to make goat cookies for a party on Friday... sugar cookies, in the shape of a goat cookie cutter I got in Germany.  It's not overly intricate, but does have horns, a beard and a tail, which I don't want to lose due to 'spread'!

Wish me luck?  

Oh, btw... this thread came up in a general Google search for sugar cookie recipes.  I'm pleased to know it's tried and tested by someone who actually KNOWS!

This recipe definitely gets the thumbs up from me, I made moomin cookies once! They were perfect, no spread

Bumping this, as I never got round to doing it back in March, but I've got the week off work, so am going to try to do some baking.

I tried this recipe and found that you have to be rather careful not to roll them too thin. Have fun!