Recipes

Your Favourite Sugar Cookies

Chef Dale Mackay’s confidence in this cookie is in its name—Your Favourite Sugar Cookies. Packed with flavour and a secret ingredient, this recipe takes classic sugar cookies to the next level. With plenty of decorating potential, the whole family can get involved in making this sweet treat.

Serves:
20
Prep Time:
15 min
Cook Time:
22 min

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup ( 175 mL ) butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup ( 175 mL ) sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) lemon extract
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) almond extract
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp ( 30 mL ) sour cream
  • 2 1/4 cup ( 565 mL ) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) salt
  • ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) baking powder

Icing

  • ½ cup ( 125 mL ) butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups ( 750 mL ) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tbsp ( 30 mL ) heavy cream
  • Food colouring

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

    Place butter, sugar and egg in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high, mix until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Next, add the lemon, almond and vanilla extracts along with the sour cream and mix. Add the flour, salt and baking powder and continue to mix on low-medium speed. Continue to mix until you reach a dough consistency without overworking it.

  2. Separate the dough into two equal parts. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it set in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

  3. Take out one half of the dough at a time so that it will stay cold while you work with it. Place dough on a lightly floured counter. Roll out dough until it’s about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) thick. Lightly flour cutters so that they do not stick to the dough. Place cut out cookie on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Take scraps of dough and reform them into a ball and roll them back out. Continue the process until all the dough has been used and cookies are cut out and ready to bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. The cookie should be pale in colour, just the very edges will lightly brown. Let cool fully on a wire rack before decorating.

Icing

  1. Place butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer down to medium and add powdered sugar ½ cup (125 mL) at a time. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, mix for another 2 minutes. Add vanilla and 2 tbsp (30 mL) of cream first and mix well. If you find your mix is the correct thickness, don’t add any more cream. To make it thinner, add cream; to make it thicker, add more powdered sugar. Add desired food colouring colours to your icing, combine thoroughly. Decorate cookies using a piping bag and tips or spread with a pallet knife.