It's extremely challenging to get an all-butter cut-out cookie to hold its shape. It's far easier with a recipe that has a measure of shortening.

Carol

Thanks Carol. I will try some shortening instead. After cutting and they are on the tray, do you think freezing them for 15 mins or so would help too?

You don't have enough sugar in the cookies....fora good crisp cut out cookie you need about twice the amount of sugar as butter....and also the baking powder makes them puff up lose their shape and fall apart.
I like the taste of all butter in my cookies....here's the recipe I use...it can be halved.

1 Cup butter ( no substitutes!)
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together until well mixed...add:
2 eggs
2 T milk
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
Beat until well mixedâ¦.remove beaters

With a wooden spoon work in:
3 cups of all purpose flourâ¦.stirred before measuring
Add as much as 1/2 cup more flour to make it stiff enough to roll out.

Form into 2 flat discs about 1 1/2 inches thick and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, well wrapped in plasticâ¦...or up to a week if the dough is really well wrapped.

Roll out on a board floured with a mix of about 1/2 flour and 1/2 powdered sugar.
Cut shapes and place on greased cookie sheets ( parchment paper is less messy and a lot easier)

Have little girls sprinkle colored sugar on the cookies:

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes until they are just lightly browned.
Gather the dough on the board, refrigerate and repeat with the other disc. Follow the above step until all dough is used.

Clean colored sugar off counter and wash the red stain off the little girlâÂÂs hands.

Pour milk and enjoy!

--How soft was your butter?
Softened butter is usually between 65 to 67 degrees F. You can take the temperature with an instant read thermometer for accuracy. It should give gently when you press your finger into the stick, but only leave a slight indentation. If you can press your finger into the stick of butter, it's too soft. Butter that is too soft or partially melted will result in dough that is too soft, causing cookies to spread too much.

--How long did you cream the fat/sugar?
This is a step that people often hurry. Cream your fat/sugar for at least 10-12 minutes for a smoother texture.

--Baking surface?
I'd suggest baking on parchment paper. Oiled cookie sheets encourage cookie spread.

--Did you use bench flour when rolling your cookies out? Using too much flour can cause the cookies to spread (at least according to two sources on the subject). I like to use powdered sugar or a mixture of powdered sugar and flour for rolling cookie dough out on. Better yet, roll it out between a couple sheets of waxed paper, a Silpat and a sheet of waxed paper, or two Silpats. You can even leave the cut shapes on the Silpat and remove the excess dough and bake the cookies on the Silpat. That way you won't have to transfer the cut cookies and they will keep their shape much better.

--After you have your cookies on the pan, stick them back in the refrigerator or freezer to chill once again for a few minutes. Even warm hands handling dough will start the fat melting. The ambient temperature of your kitchen will also start the fat melting long before you get them into the oven. And always use a cool cookie sheet for each batch.

-Grainlady

An all-butter recipe is definitely preferred for flavor, but it can present some challenges, as Grainlady's comments indicate. There was a wonderful old thread about the perfect cut-out cookie, but it dropped off some time ago. However, I have found a similar thread on Recipe Exchange that you might find helpful. It's linked below.

You'll see a range of choices, from all-butter to butter and shortening and even cream cheese. But all are forum favorites.

Also, I know Annie has often posted her T&T sugar cookie recipe.

"Here is the recipe that I have used for years for my Holiday cut-out cookies as it has never failed me.

Deluxe Sugar Cookies

From The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1975 edition

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectionerâÂÂs sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix thoroughly butter, confectionerâÂÂs sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Blend in flour, soda and cream of tartar. Cover; chill 2 to 3 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes. Place on lightly greased baking sheets (I now use parchment paper). Bake 7-8 minutes (more or less, depending on size of cookies) until light brown on edge.

Here is my tip for this recipe that I have always done to make rolling easier. When I make the dough I leave out a 1/4 cup of the flour. When I roll out the dough I use a little extra flour so the cookies roll out easier and the added flour does not ruin the cookies. Somehow they always turn out perfect and my family loves them. Of course I think they like the icing on the cookies too LOL. All I use is a basic confectionerâÂÂs sugar, vanilla, butter and heavy cream mixture that my Grandmother always used."

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: The Right Sugar Cookie Recipe

I'm in the process of baking 300 sugar cookies for Halloween - a yearly event for me. I have no problem with them keeping their shape. I bake both a regular version and a gluten free version. I use all butter. It is important to keep the dough cool when rolling and cutting, and they bake in a pretty hot oven.

I use (and love) this recipe from Allrecipes. They are not terribly sweet (sometimes I add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar), and I also add an extra tsp of vanilla.

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Rolled sugar cookies

Here's the same recipe that I converted to Gluten-free, if anyone needs a GF sugar cookie.

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Gluten-free rolled sugar cookies

I made the Pioneer Woman's Christmas cookie recipe and it didn't "move" at all when baked.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pioneer woman's recipe

For anyone baking or decorating cut-outs, I found this site very helpful. (I don't have any affiliation.)

I'm not much of a cookie decorator. But I thought this site was a treasure-trove of information on techniques and trouble-shooting. There are also links to videos and very specific pictures of decorating techniques.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Cookie FAQ

The Pioneer Woman uses shortening.