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Feast Day Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

Updated: Feb 3, 2022


This recipe was passed down to us and is a family favorite. It's perfect for cut out cookies that are meant to be decorated, we use this for just about every holiday. As most handed down recipes, it came to us with no directions, so it is basically the Great British Baking Show up in here! After several tries I finally came to perfect it and feel good about sharing with you. I have used this recipe for St. Valentine's Day, Easter, All Hallows' Eve, Christmas, and other special feast days so this one is just great to have on hand year round.


Why I love this recipe!

  1. The cookies hold their shape.

  2. If stored properly, they will stay soft for days.

  3. They are soft in the center but have a crisp edge.

  4. They are flavorful, hence why I use almond and vanilla extract.

  5. The mystery ingredient, cream of tartar, is what gives them a soft and chewy texture.


Here are some general tips and tricks for baking the perfect sugar cookie.

  1. Use salted butter, this will help balance out the sweetness of the cookie. If you have unsalted on hand like I did, just add a little bit of salt into the recipe.

  2. Roll out your dough so that it is roughly 1/4 inch thick, this is how you get that soft center.

  3. Don't overwork the dough, when it's overworked it will balloon in the oven and then deflate before you can even decorate them.

  4. Chill the dough, you can even chill them again after using the cookie cutters, doing this helps them to keep their shape.

  5. Bake on parchment paper or a cookie tray mat, this makes it much easier to transfer your cookies and also allows for a quicker clean up.




Prep Time: 25 minutes

Bake Time: 8-10 minutes

Yields: 18-20 cookies

The Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c. 10x sugar

  • 1 c. butter

  • 1 egg at room temperature

  • 1 tsp. vanilla

  • 1/2 tsp. almond

  • 2 1/2 c. flour

  • 1 tsp. baking soda

  • 1 tsp. cream tartar

  • 1/2 tsp. salt



Begin by putting 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter into the stand mixer.



Sprinkle in 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and cream together.



You may have to use a baking spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl and then continue creaming together. This process is a lot easier if the butter is at room temperature.



Add in one room temperature egg to the mixture.



Pour in 1/2 tsp almond extract.