Basic Sugar Cookie Dough

Basic Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe from Real Simple

Ingredients

• 2 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for shaping the cookies
• 1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1  cup  unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
• 3/4  cup  sugar
• 1  large egg
• 1  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk and (unless otherwise specified in an individual recipe) refrigerate, wrapped, for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. 
4.  Bake the cookies at 350º F on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 1½ inches apart. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. The total times in the recipes include the making of the dough. Do not substitute slice-and-bake dough from the supermarket; the cookies will not hold their shape when baked. 
5. Alternately, make cutout cookies by doing the following: Heat oven to 350° F. On a floured surface, roll out each disk ¼ inch thick. Cut into shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets; refrigerate until firm. Sprinkle with decorating sugar, if using, and bake until just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.