No Chill Rolled Sugar Cookies Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
  
• In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. *The butter should be (preferably) at room temperature, but still firm. If your working with cold butter, it will take longer to cream together but can be cut in to the sugar using a pastry cutter to help your dough stay chilled during the mixing process.
  
• Once the butter and sugar are combined, add the extracts and egg, baking powder and pinch of salt. Combine thoroughly.
  
• Add the flour, starting with 2 cups. Work the flour into the dough, even with only ⅔ of the flour mixed in the dough may seem crumbly but it will all come together when turned out and kneaded (like bread) before rolling out to cut shapes.
  
• Once the first 2 cups of flour has been incorporated, turn the dough out onto a well floured surface or pastry mat and work the remaining flour into the dough until you have a firm cookie dough for rolling. *Typically, I use 2 ¾ cups of the flour at this point and save the remaining ¼ cup of flour for working with the dough while rolling.
  
• Roll out sugar cookie dough to your desired thickness (usually ¼ - ½ inch depending on your preference) and cut into shapes. Transfer to baking sheet(s) and bake for 6-9 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove from the oven before any browning starts on the bottom edges of your cut out sugar cookies.
  
• Allow your cookies to remain on the baking sheet for 5-6 minutes as they will continue to bake on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before storing or decorating. *I recommend allowing your cookies to sit for several hours (and preferably overnight) before decorating with icing, as they can absorb the icing and become too soft.