12 Must-Make Sugar Cookie Recipes

October 14, 2016
Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Linda Hirst 
You don't need a special occasion to indulge in these classic sugar cookies. Dress them up or dress them down for a great dessert table presentation. Whether you're looking to satisfy guests' sweet tooth cravings at the next holiday gathering, or simply have a great item to gift to friends and family, these cookies are the perfect answer. 
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Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Photo: Oxmoor House
Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe

This dough will work for slice-and-bake cookies or as a rolled dough for your favorite cookie cutters.

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Marbled Sugar Cookies

Photo: Kat Teutsch; Styling: Jerrie-Joy for Pat Bates and Associates
Marbled Sugar Cookies Recipe

Beautiful Marbled Sugar Cookies will make a festive addition to your fall table. 

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Lemon Sugar Cookies

Photo: Oxmoor House
Lemon Sugar Cookies Recipe
The stark contrast between the sweet sugars and the tart lemon juice gives these cookies personality and bite. They're a great afternoon treat with coffee or tea.
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Basic Icebox Sugar Cookies

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cathy Muir
Basic Icebox Sugar Cookies Recipe
Create unlimited cookie variations with this classic slice-and-bake cookie.

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Classic Iced Sugar Cookies

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
Classic Iced Sugar Cookies Recipe

Whether you're welcoming kids home from school, baking a treat for a party, or enjoying an afternoon to yourself, these cookies are the just-right sweet you need. If you want to create colorful cookies, divide the icing into portions and use food coloring to tint it different hues.

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Big Crunchy Sugar Cookies

Photo: Oxmoor House
Big Crunchy Sugar Cookies Recipe
Sparkling sugar cookies are holiday classics. These goodies, which earn their name from a coating of coarse sugar, received our Test Kitchens highest rating.
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Sugar Cookie Stars

Photo: Maura McEvoy
Sugar Cookie Stars Recipe
Sandwich your favorite jam in between two star-shaped sugar cookies (made from storebought dough) for an easy, fruity cookie treat. 

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Sugar Cookie Pops

Oxmoor House
Sugar Cookie Pops Recipe
To bake these adorable cookie pops, simply roll balls of sugar cookie dough in colored sprinkles and insert a white craft stick before baking.  Make a colorful (and edible) centerpiece for the kids' table by filling a container with florist foam, topping it with jelly beans, and then sticking the pops into the foam.

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Caramelized-Sugar Cookies

James Carrier
Caramelized-Sugar Cookies Recipe
Notes: Store these caramel cookies airtight for up to 2 days.
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Cornmeal Sugar Cookies

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Cornmeal Sugar Cookies Recipe
From the Kitchen of Robin Warren, Clarkesville, GA

"For me, the cornmeal gives a traditional sugar cookie a more complex crunch," says Robin. Cut the dough into desired shapes.

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Sugar Sand Cookies

Photo: Alan Richardson; Styling: Betty Alfenito
Sugar Sand Cookies Recipe

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Crispy Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Crispy Vanilla Sugar Cookies Recipe
Crispy and tender, bet you can't eat just one!
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Spritz Cookies

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Linda Hirst 
Spritz Cookies Recipe
No holiday dessert table is complete without Spritz Cookies. For truly authentic Spritz Cookies, be sure to invest in a cookie press to get that oh-so-perfect shape.
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