everytime i bake sugar cookies either from a mix or by scratch they lose their shape i have tried frezzing them befor i bake them, baking them at a lower temp. but they still spread to much and lose thier shape, i also have problems with my roaly icing, can i add an extract to it to make it tase better? and help would be grealty apprecated.

I would highly recommend the No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe. You can find a link to it on this page, the "How to Bake & Decorate Cookies" tutorial:

http://www.cakecentral.com/article54-How-To-Bake--Decorate-Cookies.html

There is also a good recipe for royal icing to decorate with, and Antonia74 shares her method for decorating as well. You can add extracts to the royal to add flavor to it. I've used lemon, orange, almond, vanilla and creme bouquet, and all have turned out well.

hth!
Laura.

I second what slejdick said!

Yes, me too. Antonia74 recipe is the way to go. I follow her method and the cookies come out great. The result is that I have become the cookie lady at the school and everyone asks when I am going to bring in more cookies.

Don't know if this could be a problem or not, but if you are using Airbake pans to bake your cookies, they will spread really bad. I learned this the hard way. HTH

Cindy

I really don't think it would be the airbake cookie sheets. I use them all the time and have no problem.

Are you using the NFSC recipe from here? Are you chilling your dough enough?

Are you letting your cookie sheets cool completely before putting more cookies on them?

Nothing better than NFSC !

Just for a quick explanation....if you are cutting your cookies out and then transferring them to a sheet, there is where the problem lies. I had this problem for a LOOOOONG time until I finally discovered that I needed to cut my cookies out on parchment paper that was ALREADY ON the cookie sheet. This way you don't move the cookies and thus causing the cookies to look distorted from moving them.

I roll my dough between two sheets of parchment; refrigerate until firm. Then, I take it out, lay it on my cookie sheet, remove the top parchment sheet, and cut my cookies out. Take away the excess dough, and there they are...already in place on the cookie sheet and no worries of being distorted. Easy, easy, easy and a sinch to clean up...no added flour.

Hope all our suggestions help!!

I roll my dough on a floured counter & then move to the cookie sheets to bake. I have done it this for years. So it is possible to do it this way. I've already done more than 100 doz. cookies since Halloween. I have another 100 doz. to do before Christmas.

What kind of butter are you using? If you are using margarine (I use Imperial sticks) check the water content. If the dough is a little soft before chilling add a little more flour.

Are you letting your oven heat up long enough?

Use NFSC it is the best recepie and everyone who has tasted these cookies think they are the greates.