Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Method

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1. Beat the butter and sugar for 2 minutes only — until combined and slightly lightened, but not fluffy. Air is what makes them puff.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

2. Beat in the egg and the extracts.

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3. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar and salt together, add in two additions, and mix only until no dry flour remains.

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4. Divide in two, flatten each into a 2 cm slab between sheets of baking paper, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

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5. Roll each slab to 6 mm between the papers — rolling cold dough between paper means no extra flour, which is what makes re-rolled cookies tough.

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6. Cut your shapes, lay them on lined trays, and freeze 15 minutes while the oven heats to 175°C / 350°F.

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7. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are barely tinged and the tops are matte. They should look pale.

   Mark done Start 9 min timer

8. Cool completely on the trays. A warm cookie will melt icing straight off the edge.

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9. For the icing, whisk the egg whites to loose foam, add the icing sugar in three additions, then the lemon juice, and beat 4 minutes to a smooth, glossy icing that holds a ribbon for 8 seconds.

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10. Thin a portion with water a few drops at a time for flooding, and keep the rest stiff for outlines. Ice, then leave uncovered 6 hours to set hard.

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Chef’s Tips

• Re-roll scraps once. Twice and the gluten wins, and the third batch is a biscuit rather than a cookie.
• Bake shapes of the same size together. A tray holding both stars and gingerbread men will burn one and underbake the other.
• If the icing cracks as it dries it was too thick; if it runs off the edge it was too thin. The eight-second ribbon is the target.

Pairing Suggestions

• Milky tea
• Hot chocolate
• A tin, ribbon and somebody else

Storage & Reheating

Iced and fully set, airtight at room temperature for a week, layered with baking paper. Un-iced they keep 2 weeks. Raw dough slabs freeze for 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.