I am definitely a sucker for a good sugar cookie. Most of the time I like to use My Favorite Sugar Cookie recipe because it is quick and easy to make. No rolling or cutting out.
But there are times when you must have a sugar cookie cut out, meaning a sugar cookie you cut out with a cookie cutter. Christmas is usually one of those times.
Growing up I was always in charge of making the Christmas wreath shaped sugar cookies.
It’s not Christmas but several weeks ago I decided to make sugar cookies for the cast and crew of Hairspray. We did it as a little thank you gift from Tessa.
We made them last year for Guys and Dolls and made the cookies in the shape of dice.
This year we decided to go with tiara or crown shaped cookies. Tessa had the role of Amber and Amber wants to win the Miss Hairspray contest and the tiara or crown that goes with it. You’ll have to watch the movie to get the rest of the story if you haven’t seen it!
I found the perfect crown shaped cookie cutter.
One of the hardest parts of making sugar cookie cut outs is getting your dough rolled out nice and even. My friend Dawn shared a great tip with me that makes the job so easy!
Use paint sticks. You know, the kind they give you for free at the paint store to stir your paint. Just pop into your nearest paint store and ask for some – get at least four (you’ll see why later this week)
Just put your dough in between the two sticks and your rolling pin onto the sticks and you will get perfectly even dough!
So we cut out about 80 crown shaped cookies!
After they cook you can start the frosting process.
You want to use a frosting that dries with a nice glossy finish. The recipe I have included today works great.
Fill your decorating bag with your frosting with one of your small round tips. A great tip for filling your frosting bag is to set it inside a drinking glass like so…
Just fill the bag with your frosting and then use a rubber band or a clip to keep the bag closed and your frosting from escaping.
Using your small round cake decorating tip make an outline of frosting around the edge of the cookie. This will create a barrier to hold the frosting in.
Using a bigger round tip and a little runnier frosting you can then fill in the inside of the cookie; just add a little more milk to make it runnier if needed.
I used one of those offset spatulas to spread the frosting .
Enlisting a lot of helpers also makes this job a lot easier!
After frosting we added some little white candies to the tips of the crown and then let them dry – for several hours.
After the frosting is nice and dry and set up we put them into clear plastic bags, added some ribbon and a tag.
The kids loved them and the best part – they taste good too! Later this week I’ll show you how I made my own cookie bouquet using this recipe. So fun and inexpensive too!
I have included two frosting recipes. Use the Glaze Recipe if you want your cookies to have a dry, shiny finish to them. This is desirable if you are packaging them up or making a cookie bouquet.
- 1 C butter
- 2 C sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 Tbsp. milk or cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
- 4 C flour
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 C powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk or whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
- few drops of flavoring of your choice I like almond
- 3 Tbsp soft butter
- 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp cream or milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- food coloring of choice
- Beat together butter sugar
- Add eggs, milk and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy
- Mix in dry ingredients mix well
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours
- Roll out on well-floured surface
- Cut and bake on lightly greased cookie sheet or Silpat
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned on edges
- Cool and frost
- Combine powder sugar, corn syrup bowl
- If you are using a liquid food coloring, you will need to use LESS milk
- If you are using a gel food coloring, your milk quantity can remain the same
- The corn syrup gives the "shine" to the frosting that you want
- Cream together until smooth
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The paint sticks idea is wonderful! One of the reasons I avoided cut-out cookies is because I could never get the dough a consistent thickness, and so the cookies wouldn’t come out right. This should really help with that!
I’m so glad you posted this! Love the paint stirrer tip too! When you pipe the “barrier outline” do you let it dry first before filling in the space with runnier frosting? Thanks! Jeanette
By the time I had all 80 of them piped I started with the first ones and filled them so they probably had dried for 30 minute or so and they were fine
For shortbread cookies, use two stacked paint-stirrers on each side for a perfectly thick cookie.
PS- I thought of this method after doing a clay workshop with children. The instructor was using the paint stirrers to make consistent tiles.
So many useful tips!! Thanks for sharing. Those cookies are so cute!
Hi,
Where do you recommend for purchasing ‘food coloring’ with good colors for frosting???
Thank you Leigh Anne for the step-by-step instructions with photos. I have always been a little intimidated to try these cut outs, but your instructions show me that even I could do it. Oh and I was going to buy special rolling pins to keep things even, but now I don’t have to. I love the paint stick tip!!! Thanks so much!!!
No need for a special rolling pin – the paint sticks have revolutionized my sugar cooking making! They are great for pie crust too.
Just found your blog ~ love it! Also love the stick tip idea! 😀
I remembered seeing the crowns. Where did you find the crown cutter? (I live in Portland area). Want to make these for my daughters baby shower (she’s having a girl). Also, love the paint stick tip – will use it for sure!
Used your cookie recipe. It was very good. Thank you so much for sharing your tips to make things easier.
Hi, I know you said you prefer to just use buttercream when these aren’t going to be packaged or made into a bouquet; is it the same buttercream you use for piping? Or do you make it to a different consistency so it can be used the way the glaze is here? Thanks so much!
When I use buttercream I usually don’t pipe. If I am going to pipe I use the frosting I shared in this post.
I seen in your above post that you did cookies for the whole cast of Hairspray! My childs school is doing Hairspray and I wanted to do the cookies for them but cannot find any cutters in the shape of hair etc..what did you use..do you have pics? Ideas???
I actually did cookies in the shape of a crown because my daughter was Amber and it was her gift to the cast. The little tag said “I guess I’ll let you borrow my crown.”
Hi, just found your page, love the step by step instructions and recipes…question what kind of butter do you recommend? Any specific brand? Which works better? I look forward for you answer, Thanks
I tend to not buy the generic store brand. Here in the NW I usually buy Darigold. I also use Land O’Lakes.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Salted. You can assume with all of my recipes that I am using salted butter unless I specifically say unsalted. Thanks!