Sugar Cookies from Scratch

Homemade sugar cookies have been a family tradition of ours ever since my kids started babbling their first words. Actually, I think we were making these sugar cookies before the kids could even talk! That’s how easy they are to bake.

But the recipe goes back much farther than that. Did you know that sugar cookies have been an American tradition for literally hundreds of years?

Homemade sugar cookies, recipe by Stacy Lyn Harris

German settlers baked the first batch in the mid-1700s in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Those buttery, crumbly rounds of deliciousness were called Nazareth Cookies. Actually, they weren’t quite round. The settlers baked them in the shape of a keystone, the state’s official emblem.

The joy of sugar cookies eventually spread across the country. Right on the heels of Independence Day, July 9 is National Sugar Cookie Day. I hope you’ll celebrate by baking up a batch of these sugar cookies.

Making sugar cookies from scratch is so rewarding for both kids and grownups. Talk about near-instant gratification:  they take only about 8 minutes to bake in a preheated oven.

Why not make an extra batch to have on hand when you need a quick dessert? Sugar cookies are perfect for making, freezing, and pulling out when unexpected guests visit. 

Also try making sugar cookies around Christmas, when the kids are home and you’re looking for fun ways to spend quality time with them. Memories of mixing up the batter, spooning it onto cookie sheets, and smelling the cookies baking will stay with them forever. Not to mention the joy of that first crumbly bite!

Hint: If you leave these for Santa, he may just bring you extra presents! These are Santa Claus’s favorite cookies (or so I’ve heard).

Also be sure to check out my other tasty cookie recipes:

These Crispy Thin Chocolate Chip Cookies are a personal favorite of mine. I’ve been baking them since I was a kid.

These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, aka Cowboy Cookies, will be gone in a flash.

Stacy Lyn’s Sugar Cookie Recipe

This simple recipe is fun and easy. I hope you will try it out with your own kids. You’ll need a sifter, a stand mixer (or you can mix well by hand if you need to), a medium-sized ice cream scoop, and some parchment paper to line the cookie sheet.

 

Homemade sugar cookies, recipe by Stacy Lyn Harris

Sugar Cookies

This simple sugar cookie recipe is fun and easy, which means you can try it out with the kids!
5 from 6 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups all-purpouse flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla to the sugar mixture and beat until well blended. Gradually add flour and mix until completely combined.
  • Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop a ball of dough onto a piece of parchment paper placed on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Allow cookies to cool for about 2 minutes and remove to a cookie rack. When completely cooled, ice cookies or store them in an air-tight container for 7 to 10 days. 
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4 Comments

  1. Carla Melcher says:

    Can you send me the recipe for Ted Pepper Jelly?

  2. Pat DeArmond says:

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe, thanks for sharing.

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