Rough Cookie Texture on Top

Not sure, but I would guess baking powder should be replaced

Could you attach a picture here? It might be easier to diagnose the issue if we saw exactly what you mean by "rough cookie texture". Thanks!

Usually my first roll/cuts will be great and then as I reroll and add more flour to my board, I may get some unevenness, but not much. Is your flour mixed in well?

Rather than straight flour use a combination of flour and powdered sugar.  Your dough won't dry out as fast.

I have figured out two reasons for getting a rough surface on my cookies.

1. When making the dough I haven't creamed the fat and sugar long enough. Resulting in sugar crystals still being visible and roughing up the surface. Mixing fat and sugar longer took care of that.

2. When rolling out the dough tiny pieces of it stuck to my non-stick rolling pin anyway. This left the surface kind of crackled. I have taken care of this by rolling out under a piece of baking paper. Now the only rough surface I have is when the baking paper gets a crease which presses into the dough  

But I also agree with Joanie - if you reroll your dough too often, it becomes kind of bumpy when baking. Guess this has to do with air being incorporated during kneading. I only reroll twice. Whatever dough is left then, well, it's just left.

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, but I Just saw these replies tonight.

Thank you for your ideas,  "Roughing up the surface" describes my problem perfectly. I have new baking powder, roll between wax paper, and don't re-roll often. So, maybe I need to cream my sugar and butter more thoroughly! 

Thanks, I'll try that. ��

I too was searching for an answer to this problem! I started having alligator looking surfaces. I went back as Halloween was over and I was not so stressed and rushed, I read and reread my recipes and tried some different ones, but I did not like the consistency or taste. I went back to my favorite which is Sugarbelles Vanilla Almond and being a retired teacher broke down the instructions line for line and as said to you by someone earlier but not emphasized enough CREAM your butter extremely well. I used both sugars but have MUCH better cookies if I use powdered or confectioners sugar. I creamed my sugar-butter for 5 minutes at least! Guess its a chemical thing. Then in her instructions on her recipe she states INCORPORATE WELL the butter combination with your egg and emulsions here was the hidden word not just combine INCORPORATE! I had started to rush I was so busy and in a hurry during the Halloween holiday! SO I did that as she directed and guess what!!! My cookies are smooth as silk! Absolutely beautiful they look just like Sugarbelles in her Blog Photo! I then proceeded to bake 5 more dozen just in case it was a "fluke" ? Every single cookie was magazine perfect and if I knew how to post a picture here I would?

So just remember do not do what I did I would hurry my ingredients in baking prep and spend hours on my decorating. Since I beat the "HECK" out of my butter and then my egg and butter together NO MORE ALLIGATOR skin on my cookies? Wish it worked on my wrinkles on my face that well? LOL Good Luck to you hope it works as well for you as it has for me! Happy Holiday Cookie Baking!