Small Batch Sugar Cookies
These small batch sugar cookies are perfect to decorate and snack on! They’re tender and buttery, and don’t spread in the oven. It makes a dozen sugar cookies depending on the size of cutter used.
These cookies are a great staple recipe to have, made in one bowl. They’re nice and soft with a simple vanilla flavor and almond flavor. The almond extract is optional but I think it’s a must in a sugar cookie! There’s enough flour in the recipe to ensure the cookies hold their shape without spreading, and there’s just a hint of baking powder in them so they won’t dome in the oven.
Once you’ve mixed the dough, you can roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper and then chill it. This makes it so much easier than chilling it before rolling, because the butter will still be nice and soft. It also makes the chilling time a bit shorter, you only need half an hour (though go ahead and chill it for up to 2 days if need be!)
Ingredients
Here is a run down of what you need for this one dozen sugar cookie recipe – find the ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter – Use a good quality butter in this recipe if you can. Cheaper butters can have extra water that can cause the dough to spread more during baking.
- All-purpose flour and baking powder – The flour ratio in these cookies is higher than say a butter cookie, which is to reduce the spread. That being said, they’re still lovely and buttery and tender, with just a little touch of baking powder to bring lightness.
- Egg yolk – We are just using the yolk in this small-batch recipe which will enrich the dough but not add too much liquid.
- Vanilla paste or extract and almond extract. Good quality vanilla is a must but the almond extract is optional. That being said, I personally love my sugar cookies with that hint of almond!
- Sugar and salt. The cookies aren’t overly sweet to reduce spread and also because you’re likely going to be icing them, so too much sugar isn’t needed.
I use this recipe as the base for homemade mallowpuffs!
Method
Here’s how to make them!
- Start by creaming together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder and salt and beat together
- Add the flour and mix into a crumbly dough.
- Form it into a mound and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Add a second sheet on top and roll the dough out. Chill for around 30-60 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Use cookie cutters to cut the cookies. Any scraps can be re-rolled and cut again.
- Bake the cookies until just lightly golden brown.
More small batch recipes
- Small Banana Cake With Chocolate Frosting
- The Perfect Small Carrot Cake Recipe
- Small-Batch Snickerdoodles
Small Batch Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 85 g butter softened to room temperature
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 1/8 tsp almond extract optional
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 156 g all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C /350F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg yolk, vanilla, almond extract, baking powder and salt and beat together. Finally add the flour and mix into a crumbly dough. When pressed with your hands it should hold together easily.
- Form it into a mound and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Add a second sheet on top and roll the dough into a 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick rectangle.
- Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes until cold and firm.
- Use your preferred cookie cutter to cut the cookies. Any scraps can be re-rolled and cut again.
- Bake the cookies, spaced 2cm apart for around 12 minutes until just lightly golden brown. This time will need to be adjusted depending on the size and thickness of your cookies.
- Let them cool on a cooling rack to room temperature.
