11 Pro Tips for Perfect Sugar Cookies, From Martha’s Favorite Bakers

Nothing says "holiday" like sugar cookies, so before you bake your first batch this year, we're here with expert tips to help you take your treats up a notch. We chatted with two top cookie chefs, the creative baking duo of Jason Schreiber and Molly Wenk, bakers and food stylists who are Martha's favorites. She appreciates their sugar skills, and we've asked them to share their tricks of the trade so you can make, bake, and decorate better sugar cookies. 

How to Make the Best Sugar Cookies

Our experts shared their pro tips for making sugar cookies, from how to roll out the cookie dough to the best techniques for decorating with royal icing. 

Roll Sugar Cookie Dough on Parchment

Our bakers have two preferred methods for rolling out sugar cookie dough. The first is to roll out freshly made cookie dough between sheets of nonstick parchment paper. Wenk prefers this method, which does not incorporate any extra flour into the dough. The dough remains pliable, making it super easy to roll out—though, reaching an even thickness can take some practice.

Or Form the Dough Into Disks

If he has the time, Schreiber prefers to chill cookie dough before rolling it out. He forms the dough into a disk (the thinner the better, as you’ll have less work to do when it’s time to break out the rolling pin) before popping it into the refrigerator or freezer to firm up. From there, he gently kneads it a few times to make it a little more malleable before rolling it out on a lightly floured surface. (It's important to start with a light dusting of flour as extra flour can make the cookie dough tough.)

Roll to the Right Thickness

Our experts agree that this step is super important and that practice makes perfect.

Thickness: Wenk says that 1/4-inch is the ideal thickness to aim for—it makes the cookies sturdy enough to decorate without being so thick that they don’t bake properly or too thin that they crack. 

Tool: The type of rolling pin you use can be a game-changer, notes Schreiber. He avoids the kind with handles, which doesn't allow for much control. “Your hands are too far removed from the process, making it impossible to put even pressure on the dough, especially when chilled,” he says. He prefers a French-style rolling pin, which is tapered on the ends.

Technique: Schreiber rotates the dough between each pass of the rolling pin because it helps maintain an even thickness all the way through. Wenk recommends using the rolling pin to feel for “bumps,” which would indicate unevenness. 

Re-Roll Scraps (Just Once)

You want to make as many cookies as possible, but you've heard that re-rolling can make them tough. Wenk says re-rolling dough scraps once is perfectly fine, but more than that and you risk a tough cookie. 

Resting and chilling the scraps before re-rolling gives the gluten a chance to relax, says Schreiber. Plus, "you can re-roll a second time for your least judgmental family and friends,” he jokes.

You Must Chill

Chilling the dough is one of the most important steps to take when baking almost any cookie. It aids in both flavor development and the overall texture and look of the cookies. Wenk usually chills cookies in the refrigerator. She says that it is necessary to keep the edges of the shapes crisp and straight. It also helps prevent the cookies from spreading. 

If you’re short on time, follow Schreiber's advice and use a short freeze (between 15-20 minutes) in place of a longer refrigeration.

Bake On Parchment or Silicone Mats

Whether you rolled the cookie dough between parchment or with flour, it’s important to bake them on either parchment paper or silicone baking mats. These prevent the cookies from sticking to the pans. Our cookie duo prefers silicone baking mats, saying they help prevent the cookies from spreading more effectively than parchment.

Bake At the Correct Temperature

Be sure to follow the recommended oven temperature specified in the recipe. Also, use an oven thermometer to ensure the oven is temping properly. If your oven is too cold, the cookies will spread and be quite soft. If it's too hot, the bottoms and edges of the cookies will burn before the centers are properly baked. 

Check the Edges

Often, home bakers rely on the baking time specified in a recipe, but pros know that it is only a guideline and that ovens vary, so they use visual cues. Wenk recommends looking for light browning along the edges. The tops of the cookies should have little to no color. 

Feel For Firmness

First and foremost, says Schreiber, sugar cookies should feel firm to the touch. To test them, gently press against the surface of a cookie with the tip of a finger. There should be no give, and you should not leave an imprint on the dough.

Get Smooth Tops for Decorating

Having smooth cookie tops is important if you plan to decorate with royal icing. Wenk likes to run an offset spatula along the tops of the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. She explains that this helps smooth out the surface and eliminate any air bubbles that may have formed during baking. 

Schreiber has an alternative technique: sometimes he will use a microplane zester to smooth the surfaces of cooled cookies. Another, easier approach is to flip the cookies over and decorate the (smooth) bottoms instead.

Make Sure You Have the Right Royal Icing Consistency

There are two basic consistencies to aim for when decorating sugar cookies—piping and flooding. Royal icing for piping should have the consistency of toothpaste (thick enough to hold its shape as it’s piped around the edges of the cookie). Flooding icing should be thin enough to settle into an even, flat surface inside the piped border—it is similar to the consistency of shampoo. 

There is also what Schreiber calls “single consistency,” and it's his favorite for quick decorating. “It should be thick enough to hold a line, but thin enough to settle when you shake or tap the cookie,” he says. With this thickness, you can quickly pipe the edges of your shapes, then immediately flood the area with the same icing. He describes the texture as the consistency of hand lotion that comes in a pump bottle.