Why are my cookies spreading?

If your cookies are spreading, there's a few reasons this could be happening. 1. Your butter was too soft. Room temperature butter is slightly cool to the touch. It should be soft, but not look greasy 2. Your flour could've been mismeasured. If you didn't use enough flour, the cookies will spread. Additionally, if you use too much flour, the dough will be dry, crumbly, and won't come together 3. If baking multiple batches, let the cookie sheet cool before baking the next batch

Can I use unsalted butter?

Yes, of course you can! I always use salted butter when I bake because I like the way it makes my baked goods taste. However, if you're using unsalted butter just be sure to add a pinch of salt to the dough!

Can cut out sugar cookies be frozen?

It can! In fact, you can freeze it two ways. First, you can freeze the sugar cookie dough. To do that, make the dough and flatten it into a disk. Then you're going to wrap it in plastic wrap, place into a freezer bag, and put it into the freezer. It stays good for up to three months, then defrost it, roll it out, and bake. Second, you could freeze baked cookies. Let the cookies cool completely, then place them into a freezer bag and put in the freezer. They stay good up to 4 months.

What is the best thickness for no spread sugar cookies?

I like to roll my no spread sugar cookie dough out to 1/4 inch thickness because they hold up well when decorating and also stay soft longer. You could make the cookies thinner if you'd like, but I don't recommend making a thicker cookie because they won't bake right and you'll end up with raw dough in the middle.

The Best No Spread Sugar Cookies

no spread sugar cookies decorated with flowers in a wood box.

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These no spread sugar cookies are the best! Only one bowl, no chilling, and sharp edges, you can have perfect cut-out cookies all year round!

Author: Nicole Radcliffe
Prep Time: 8 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Yield: 18 1x
Category: cookies
Method: baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons warm water. Mix and let sit for 5 minutes)
1 stick softened salted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In a large bowl make the flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons warm water and letting it sit for 5 minutes until "jelled"
After 5 minutes, add the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream the wet ingredients until pale in color
Next, add the flour, cream of tartar and salt and mix on low speed just until fully combined
Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper with flour and dump out your sugar cookie dough. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to 1/4 inch thick
Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out the rolled dough, making sure to reroll the scraps
Place cut-out cookies onto your parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes until the edges are very lightly brown or even pale
Carefully pull the baking sheet out of the oven and let the cookies cool on it for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely
Decorate and enjoy!

Notes

Make sure your butter isn't too soft
Let the flax egg sit for 5 minutes until it has "jelled" before adding the other ingredients
Don't overmix the dough or you'll end up with tough cookies
Bake on parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent sticking
The bottom of the cookie should look very lightly golden brown or even still pale
Let them cool completely before decorating with any sort of icing

Find it online: https://www.coleinthekitchen.com/the-best-no-spread-sugar-cookies/