Need an Easy Recipe for Sugar Cookie Dough and Icing

I made sugar cookie bars today that were the best. I got the recipe from ladywiththeredrocker.wordpress.com. They are frosted with a cream cheese frosting.

I second MamaLucky! Slice and bakes!

However, no matter what kind of sugar cookie you opt for, do NOT roll them out in plain ol' regular flour - cause after the first couple of batches, those cookies won't be tasting very good! Roll them out with powdered sugar, instead! The cookies will keep the sweet taste this way!

When you find a recipe that works, i have a fun trick. I add a pinch of cinnamon to the dough and a bit of almond extract in the icing. The combination is delicious! I love to play with recipes :)

Check out this tutorial - your cookies will be soft but hold their shape, will taste amazing and will look professional:

http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2008/04/taste-of-yellow-yel...

Also check out her royal icing tutorial - happy baking!

This is the recipe I use every Christmas and Valentine's Day:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

Mix all ingredients together. Add any food coloring you choose. Ice cookies with frosting.

This is the least fussiest fool proof recipe for sugar cookies. The dough doesn't even need chilled.

Roll Out Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsps baking powder
3 c flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix baking powder and flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be very stiff; blend last flour in by hand (if dough becomes too stiff, add water a teaspoon at a time.) Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle, approximately 12 inches in diameter. Dip cutters in flour before each use. Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Makes 20-24 average size cookies.

Poured Cookie Icing Recipe

This icing dries to a shiny, hard finish and tastes good too. It can be used for icing or to outline and fill in with a #2 or #3 tip.

1 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. milk
2 tsp. light corn syrup

Place sugar and milk in a bowl. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Add corn syrup and mix well. For filling in areas, use thinned icing (add small amounts of light corn syrup until desired consistency is reached).

Okay, you're not going to like this but here goes anyway.....

I buy the Pilsbury cut n' bake sugar cookies.
I cut the piece & shove it into a metal, open cookie cutter.
Bake
Decorate
Voila!

See I told you. But it's fast and easy! :)

let me start this by saying... if you want a healthier recipe... just stop reading now....
these are the BEST.... they never ever get hard
1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon maple syrup (i have just used the cheap store brand)

mix margarine with brown sugar, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla

measure two cups flour, sift it with baking powder and salt and add to mixture and beat

add remaining flour slowly until dough will roll easily

refridgerate 1 hour

roll and cut

cook on greased cookie sheet @350 6-8 min

icing, i just use powder sugar and milk, add milk by tablespoon and good consistency and tint with food coloring

enjoy

Go to Walmart or Costco and get Krusteaz Sugar Cookie mix in the bag. If it works half as well as their pancake mix, you'll be all set.
If you don't like that idea, you can always google Martha Stewart's sugar cookie recipe. That should be pretty foolproof.
LBC

My favorite recipe website is food.com, and I just barely found a recipe that has almost 300 5 star reviews. I'm definitely going to use this for our Valentines sugar cookies and icing. http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-buttery-cut-out-sug...

You got a lot of responses already, but I'll pass a recipe along if you need it. I never have luck with sugar cookies, especially if I wanted to do cutters. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that I love. It is easy and the cookies are so delicious. I did read some of the reviews and use some of the tips, like adding another teaspoon of vanilla. I only made half of the recipe because it makes so much. I don't have an icing recipe, but allrecipes has a ton of them.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookie...

I love the Pillsbury cookie mix (in the box- like cake mixes come in). Just add an egg and stick of butter usually. They are so easy and have a really great taste. I can never get scratch recipes to turn out so this is what I do for a quick, easy and delicious treat!
HTH,
A.

Your cookies are not turning out for you happen to be located at high altitude where the air is thinner and dryer.

Please see Baking at High Altitude cookbook for several recipes for sugar cookies at high altitude. Also this cookbook lists in details how to adjust recipes for such. For the recipe you are using, without seeing it, I would suggest NOT raising the tmp and adding 2-3 more T of flour. Also if using a roll out cookie recipe you don't need to add the fattening icing, colored sugars usually work beautifully and do not contain the excess fats!