Momofuku Milk Bar Holiday Cookie Recipes: Sugar Cutouts

This week, Gilt Taste is pleased as cranberry punch to be hanging out with Christina Tosi and the Momofuku Milk Bar team. Each day, Christina or one of her pastry sous chefs will share some of their dearest family cookie recipes. Have fun sugar-buzzing through the holidays!- Ed.

Sugar Cutout Cookies

Makes approx 40 cookies
Nothing beats a warm, freshly-frosted sugar cookie. Milk Bar pastry sous chefs Courtney McBroom and Maggie Kindschuh grew up in Texas, scarfing down too many of these to count. The recipe has been passed down from their Grandmas to their Mas to them. Hands down, it’s the best sugar cookie recipe we’ve ever tried—with a caramelly butter flavor that takes us right back to childhood. And don't forget to bake your scraps, they'll make a great snack while you frost those fancy shapes.

1 cup butter

½ cup brown sugar
2¼ cups flour

½ cup flour plus ½ cup sugar, for dusting

1. Whip butter to cream in the sugar and flour. Combine until thoroughly mixed, then form into two equal balls. Wrap in waxed paper and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
2. Place each ball between two sheets of wax paper
, dusted with the flour-sugar mixture and roll out to about ¼-inch in thickness. 
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Cut out in desired shapes and bake 
for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly golden on the edges. Frost with icing*, sprinkles, whatever you got!

*For classic sugar cookie frosting, combine a pound of confectioner's sugar with just enough water to form a thick liquid, whisking as you go along to keep it smooth. For color, separate your frosting into a few bowls and color each one with food coloring as needed.

More Milk Bar:

Chef Christina Tosi's Gooey Butter Cake Bars and Cinnamon Squares... and why holidays are so festive in their shop.

Photos by Tejal Rao