Your search for the perfect eggless sugar cookie recipe ends here!! Yes using just 5 ingredients and 15 mins of your prep time you will have an amazing sugar cookies - that retains its shape perfect to be iced later on!!
Place the chilled and cubed butter alongwith Caster sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar for around 4 mins, stopping in between to scrape down the sides.
Once the butter and sugar is combined add water and vanilla bean paste and beat again until just combined
Add the salt to the flour and give it a quick mix. Transfer to the stand mixer in 3 batches. Stopping to scrape down before every addition.
Once you add the flour beat the dough just until it comes together. If you take a small amount and gently press in your hands you will see that the dough doesn't fall apart
At this stage, switch over to make the dough using your hands instead of the stand mixer. Just combine it into a dough. DO NOT KNEAD.
Flatten the dough to a disc, cling wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 30 mins
Dust your worktop with flour and once chilled roll the dough to 1/4 or 1/3 inch thickness.
Using the cookie cutter of your choice, start from the ends and then working towards the centre to cut the cookie dough
Once rolled out, lift the cookies using an off-set spatula and carefully place them in a baking tray lined with a parchment paper. (You can re-roll the scraps and cut out cookies from them.)
Chill the cookies one more time for 15 to 30 mins in the refrigerator. Meanwhile pre-heat your oven to 180°C.
Place a cookie tray upside down in the middle rack and then place your tray with the cut-out cookie dough on top of it.
Bake them for 10-12 mins until the base of the cookies turn light golden brown but the top remains pale in colour.
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Notes
The recipe makes 23 to 26 cookies depending upon the size and type of cookie cutter used.
You can easily double or halve the recipe.
Butter: Use cold and cubed butter that way you would not incorporate too much air into the batter.
Never over-mix or knead the cookie dough. Once your flour is incorporated stop and just combine everything into a dough using your hands.
It is important to chill the dough once mixed for at least 15 mins.
You can also dip your cookie cutter into flour and the cut the cookie dough if you find that it is sticking way too much to the cookie dough.
Line the baking tray with a parchment paper:It not only prevents the sticking of the cookies to the base and makes lifting them easier but also prevents the butter from spreading while baking.
Double Pan Method:If you find that your cookies brown too much in your oven specially from the base, consider placing a cookie tray upside down in your oven and then place the tray with cookies on top of the other tray. So basically you use two pans in the oven and this would prevent the over-browning of the cookies.
Use a silicon mould or a fondant smoother on top of the warm cookies to get an even and smoother finish.
These eggless cookies would make an excellent addition to Diwali Hamper Box or Christmas Hamper Box. And if you are wondering how to price them then check out our Cake Pricing Guide post.