Sugar Cookie Cutouts -- The Sweet Tradition That Holds a Family Together

Christmas 2023. Grinnell. Cinnamon rolls, extra frosting, the tradition that is the tradition because I swore it would be. Roger eating a roll. The smell. The same. Always the same.

Jack's gift to the family: the Marlene Heart Bed garden plan, refined, with berry patches and herb beds added. Kevin's eyes were wet. The plan was perfect.

Roger told more farm stories. Noah recorded them all. The documentation of a life in agriculture, preserved in a smartphone, told by an eighty-two-year-old man to a grandson who will build machines for the next generation of farmers. The stories are the seeds. The recording is the jar. The preservation is the love.

That Christmas morning in Grinnell, with the smell of cinnamon rolls still hanging in the air and Roger’s stories filling the room, I wanted something we could all put our hands to together — something that let the kids and grandkids be part of the making. Sugar Cookie Cutouts have always been that recipe for us: simple enough for little hands, festive enough to feel like the season, and forgiving enough to survive a kitchen full of generations. After a morning that full of meaning, rolling out dough and pressing cookie cutters into it felt like exactly the right way to keep everyone at the table a little longer.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 35 min (plus 1 hr chilling) | Servings: 48 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Frosting:
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3–4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Food coloring and sprinkles, as desired

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add wet ingredients. Mix in the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract until well combined.
3. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough. Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with your favorite cookie cutters and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake. Bake for 7–9 minutes, until edges are just barely golden. Do not overbake. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Make the frosting. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until smooth. Divide and tint with food coloring as desired. Frost cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 110 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 55mg