Go Back
Print

Roll and Cut Cookies

The perfect cookie dough recipe for using with cookie cutters since they don't spread and taste delicious!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 c. butter, softened
  • ½ c. sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2½-3 c. flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ⅛ tsp. salt

Icing

  • 2 c. powdered sugar
  • 3 Tbps. milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • food coloring

Instructions

For the Dough

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, cream your butter and sugar.  Make sure your butter is softened but not melted.  You can use a hand mixer or a metal spoon.
  • Add the vanilla and egg and mix well.
  • Add the flour, baking powder and salt and combine.
  • Divide the dough in half and form one half into a ball shape.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  Flour your surface well.  (I use my flour sifter.) 
  • Place the ball in the middle of the flour.  Roll the dough out to about 1/8" thick.Then remove the plastic wrap and place your cookie cutters on the dough.  I try to make as many cookies as possible out of each sheet of dough so I'm not adding too much flour to the dough each time it gets rolled out. 
  • Using a spatula, place your cookies on your cookie sheet.
  • Bake cookies in oven for 6-8 minutes.  You don't want them to brown.  If you're not sure they are done, softly press on one and if it still soft, keep it in for a little longer.  They will feel mostly firm when they are done.
  • Remove them from the oven and let them rest for a minute or two and then place them on a cooling rack or muslin type cooling cloth. Allow them to cool completely. 
  • If you want to frost them the same day, you can leave them out.  If you want to wait a day, store them in an airtight container on the counter.

For the Icing

  • In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  You can stir by hand or with a hand mixer.
  • If you want to do different colors, get a few small bowls and divide the icing out, then add the color.  When you are adding your food coloring, keep in mind that you may have to add a little more powdered sugar since the amount of food coloring you add will affect the consistency.
  • I like to use a small spoon to frost the cookies instead of a knife.  I scoop a little onto my spoon, pour it in the middle of the cookie and spread outwards, leaving a space between the edge of the cookie and my frosting. 
  • Add any sprinkles or other cookie decorations I want since it will begin to set fairly quickly--within 2-3 minutes.
  • Let your cookies sit out and set for about an hour or so before putting them back in a container.  If you have to stack them, put a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper between each layer so they don't stick to each other.
  • Store them in an airtight container either in the fridge or on the counter for up to a week.