Semi-Homemade Sugar Cookies

I like to make semi-homemade sugar cookies for the holidays and throughout the year. Cutout cookies are fun to make to match the time of year or holiday such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Graduations, etc. I like to buy the package cookie mix and enhance it with a few extracts for the the added flavor. This is what makes these cookies semi-homemade.

To make sure I am not spending countless hours making sugar cookies, I paint on the icing and cover with sugar candy decorations. This method is so easy and kids love to help shake on the candy sprinkles. The hardest part is stopping helpers from eating the cookies before they are all finished.

Part of the fun with cutout sugar cookies is choosing the cookie cutters and deciding what shape to eat after they are done. I make two packages of cookies for holidays because people tend to eat 3-4 so they do not last long. So give these cookies a try and let me know how it works out.

To see my available Party Label Bundle Downloads, click here: https://majorgates.com/product-category/party-bundles/

Don’t Forget To Follow Me On Pinterest!

For more delicious recipes, visit my Recipes section here: https://majorgates.com/category/recipes/

For another cookie recipe, try my Snickerdoodles Cookies here: https://majorgates.com/recipes/snickerdoodle-cookies/

Ingredients for Sugar Cookies

1 package of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix – 17.5 oz (1lb 1.5oz)

1 stick (1/2 cup) of Margarine – melted and cooled for at least 10 minutes.
3 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour for mix, then 2 more Tablespoons to form ball (plus extra flour for rolling and cutting the cookies)
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of Butter extract
1/2 teaspoon of Almond extract
1 large Egg
16 ounce container of Vanilla Regular Frosting

Supplies

Small saucepan
Large mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Rolling Pin
Baking Sheets
Cookie cutters
Candy sprinkles
Fork and a spoon
Butter knife
Pastry brush

Semi-Homemade Sugar Cookie Directions

Start with a very clean kitchen counter.
Then pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Choose your cookie cutters. I have tons of them.

Melt the margarine in a small saucepan and set to the side to cool. This recipe must be made with margarine and not butter or it will not taste the same and the consistency will be different.
Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix with a fork. Then form into a ball. The ball will be sticky so add 2 more Tablespoons and form into the ball.

Now add 2 Tablespoons to the counter and flour the counter and the rolling pin.
Knead the flour into the dough so it becomes more stiff. Then roll out and see if a cookie cutter will cut cleanly. If not, add another Tablespoon of flour and knead again. Try cutting the cookies with a cookie cutter and it should release cleanly without sticking or repeat the kneading process until it does.

Sugar Cookies — Example of dough too soft to cut out

Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Remove from cookie sheet and allow the sugar cookies to cool.

Heat up in the microwave 1 container of plain vanilla frosting for 20 seconds and stir with a butter knife. So once the frosting is almost a liquid consistency, use the pastry brush and brush the frosting on the cookies. If the frosting becomes stiff again where it is not smooth to brush on the sugar cookies, heat up again for 20 seconds and stir.