A confession: My name is Sara, and I am a sugar cookie snob. I'm not afraid to admit it anymore! I used to try to pretend I didn't care and stuff down dry, cakey, flavorless cookies with a smile. I even got a little offended when some of my friends alluded to said snobbery. But I've changed my ways and decided that I'm going to wear it like a badge of honor. My plan is to change the world one sugar cookie at a time. Help me, will you?!
Now you'd think that a good sugar cookie wouldn't be hard to make. They all take pretty much the same ingredients, but I think it's because some people just don't have the right recipe. And this one doesn't have any super-magical ingredients. I'm also not going to claim that it's "THE BEST" because I don't know how you like yours. For me, this is indisputably "the best." But who knows, you might make these and feel disappointed because you like yours better. That's fine! There are lots of good recipes out there so I know this isn't the only good one. I can only speak for myself, and for me, this is my favorite. I've tried a million recipes and I settled on this one several years ago after I needed to make some little cookies for a wedding I was catering. It was an autumn-themed dessert spread, so I did a cool dough-coloring effect and then used an intricate maple leaf cutter. They weren't frosted, so it was imperative that the cookie actually taste good on it's own, and hold it's shape for that cute cutter. These did both, and so many people asked me if they could have the recipe- which is a sure sign of a keeper.
Now you'd think that a good sugar cookie wouldn't be hard to make. They all take pretty much the same ingredients, but I think it's because some people just don't have the right recipe. And this one doesn't have any super-magical ingredients. I'm also not going to claim that it's "THE BEST" because I don't know how you like yours. For me, this is indisputably "the best." But who knows, you might make these and feel disappointed because you like yours better. That's fine! There are lots of good recipes out there so I know this isn't the only good one. I can only speak for myself, and for me, this is my favorite. I've tried a million recipes and I settled on this one several years ago after I needed to make some little cookies for a wedding I was catering. It was an autumn-themed dessert spread, so I did a cool dough-coloring effect and then used an intricate maple leaf cutter. They weren't frosted, so it was imperative that the cookie actually taste good on it's own, and hold it's shape for that cute cutter. These did both, and so many people asked me if they could have the recipe- which is a sure sign of a keeper.
Since we're talking cookies here, let me show you one of my most favorite kitchen accessories of all time- the Roul'Pat. It's an over-sized Silpat and it's made for working with doughs. It's also great for candy and sooo much more. It stays firmly in place on the counter and nothing sticks to it. They're pricy, but so so worth it. I honestly use mine for something or other just about every day. Rolling sugar cookie dough on a cutting board is annoying, and the thought of doing it right on the counter gives me the heebie-jeebies. Just imagine what's on your counter top and it's all getting stuck in your dough! Anyway, the Roul'Pat is perfect for rolling cookie dough so just ask Santa for one. Wait, do you have a Silpat?? Because you need one of those too! Everyone needs a Silpat, it will change your life.
As I mentioned before, one of the great things about these cookies is that they hold their shape pretty well. So they work especially well with detailed cutters.
The other great thing is that you can make them thick and chewy, or thin and buttery crisp. Either way they are amazing. Since you all know how to make a sugar cookie, let me show you some fun things we do with this recipe around here.
The flavor it good enough to just sprinkle with coarse sugar if you like.
Or try Glace Icing- here's a great tutorial!
Make these easy yet fancy Chocolate Toffee Sugar Cookies
Turn them into sugar cookie pops. Halloween is shown below, and here's a fun Valentine's version.
Try these sweet Cream Cheese and Jam Cookies. They taste as good as they look!
Or enjoy them the classic way, with a big smear of creamy frosting and sprinkles!
They're perfectly buttery in the middle
Sugar Cookies
Print text only
1 C real butter (no substitutions!)
1 C sugar
1 egg (make sure to use a large or extra large egg)
1 1/2 t almond extract (or other flavor of your choice, like vanilla)
3 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.
Chill the dough in the fridge for about an hour, or use this great tip to make things easier:
When your dough is made, instead of putting it in the fridge, immediately roll between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper and then place on a flat surface in the fridge. Chill for about 20-30 minutes and then start cutting it out. This way it chills faster and the bonus is that you don't need to add extra flour to roll it out. If you don't use this tip, proceed as follows:
When you're ready to roll out dough lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin.
Print text only
1 C real butter (no substitutions!)
1 C sugar
1 egg (make sure to use a large or extra large egg)
1 1/2 t almond extract (or other flavor of your choice, like vanilla)
3 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.
Chill the dough in the fridge for about an hour, or use this great tip to make things easier:
When your dough is made, instead of putting it in the fridge, immediately roll between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper and then place on a flat surface in the fridge. Chill for about 20-30 minutes and then start cutting it out. This way it chills faster and the bonus is that you don't need to add extra flour to roll it out. If you don't use this tip, proceed as follows:
When you're ready to roll out dough lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin.
Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. The baking time really depends on how you like them. If you like them really and slightly chewy, about 8-9 minutes does it. If you like them slightly crisp and buttery, then go for 10-12.
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Those look great, I am really going to have to try them with the glace icing.
A question for you, do you use the silpat when baking these? I have one, but never know when to use it. Thank you!!
Yum!! I love my sugar cookie recipe, but they're big and soft and don't hold their shape super well. And they don't really make a whole lot.
And yeah, wanna hear the camera story, everyone? My husband, who is much more anal than I am, did not approve of where I left the camera last time I was done with it, so he hid it from me. And he was in a meeting at work while I was trying to take pictures. As you can imagine, I was super happy.
Do you have a recommendation for an easy to use tool for piping? I know there are the bags w/the tips, but those can be a little hard to control...
Thanks!
Do you have the frosting recipe you were talking about?
Don't mind the messy piping? Haha! That's about the quality I aspire to. I'm lucky if that's what I get in the end.
So, if I want a nice soft cookie, roll thicker bake less time??
Soft chewy sugar cookies are my fav! I hate the hard ones!
I'm loving that snowflake cutter you have! Where can I find one?? I can't wait to try this recipe with the glace icing
Beautiful! And go on being a snob, and be proud!
Sweet!! Can't wait to try these. I love my roul pat to pieces. It's currently in pieces. My dear hubby sliced bread on top of it last week :(. It's seriously one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, and I too use it nearly every day. Guess I know what I'm getting for Christmas.
My names Crystal and I am a sugar cookie snob. I have a very hard time eating sugar cookies other people make. I have a recipe I love. I want to give yours a try, they look so scrumptious.
Okay, I'll try to answer everyone's questions here!
Anne- yes, I always use my Silpat to bake cookies. Actually I use my Silpat to bake pretty much everything. Cookies, breadsticks, anything that goes on a cookie sheet! I can't even remember the last time I put something on a cookie sheet without one. Get yours out and start baking!
Kate- your post reminded me that you can put orange or lemon zest in this recipe too. I remember your cookies have orange zest in them so I tried that one time. Yummy!
Jennifer- I just like to use a pastry bag, for me that's the easiest, but if you're not used to it, it can be a little tricky. There are also canister types. Wilton makes one like this: http://www.preparedpantry.com/deluxe-cookie-and-cake-decorating-set-large-capacity.aspx
I've never used it, but I know some people really like them.
mb batch- I knew as soon as I wrote that I'd need to write down a recipe! I will do that and edit it to the post, but I have to make it again to see because I usually just throw it together. All I do is start with equal parts cream cheese and butter (about 1/4 cup each? 1/2 C each for a large batch) After that is light and fluffy I add in powdered sugar to taste (a couple cups, I keep it low so it's not overly sweet), almond extract, and then milk or cream until it's a good consistency. Then I turn my beaters to high and let it beat for like 5 minutes. Beating the heck out of it is the secret. It will then be silky smooth and light as a cloud (well, not calorie-wise, haha). Next time I make it I will write down specifics and post it!
TabKate- these cookies are naturally soft, so just don't overbake and you're set! I just watch the edges. The moment I see just a hint of golden brown-ness at the edges, they come out. Maybe even a minute sooner.
Jen- That cookie cutter came in a set from Williams-Sonoma. I LOVE them. It came with a few others too. I tried to find them to link them, but I don't think they made them this season. You may be able to find them in the store though!
Mmmmmmm these cookies are so delicious. Soft and buttery with a hint of almond. You have to be careful not to OD on this prescription!
Sara, All day yesterday I was thinking about these cookies and wondering how I could convince you to post the recipe sooner than next week. My prayers are answered! Kate- I'm sorry your husband hid your camera. I'll bet he's sorry too! But, it's good news for the rest of us because we get the sugar cookie recipe today!
Thanks for answering my question. Another one...how big are the little circles you use?
Anne, the circles in this post (the blue, yellow, and green ones) are 3" diameter, and the ones from the icing post (the bright blue, green, pink) were about 1.75" I *think*. I did those ones when I was in Seattle so I don't have the cutter in front of me.
Okay, so I noticed that your "prescription" recipe and your recipe in the post are different--I specifically noticed the baking powder. Also, my sister gave me this recipe before you posted it (she's cool and has a "in") and it's still the doubled recipe and it calls for 3 tsp baking powder. Soooo, should your recipe in the post call for 1 1/2 t, like you wrote on your prescription? I'm thinking yes, since 3 tsp sounds like a lot? I'm excited to try them!!
Ahhh Lindsay- nice catch! You are most certainly right. And looks like I doubled both the salt and the baking powder when I wrote that out. See?? That's why I have to write things down!! I'm really sorry if anyone made these today and they were weird. I promise they are good, lol. I fixed it in the post. Thanks!
We made them tonight...DELICIOUS! We had a fun time decorating them with the kids. Thanks!
Sara, where do you get coarse sugar? Do they sell it in the baking section at the grocery store? I've never noticed it before.
Shara, I can't totally tell from the picture, but I believe that the sugar is sparkling sugar. You should just be able to find it with the sprinkles and birthday candles at the grocery store.
Hope that helps! :)
Shara-
Ya, Kate's suggestion is great, sparkling sugar would work well. You'll also be able to find some coarse grade sugars by the normal sugar. Have you ever seen "Sugar in the Raw"? It's a turbinado sugar. The one I have is a little finer than that, but I bought it in that section. There should be a few options there. Go check out the sugar section next time you're at the grocery section and I bet you'll find some!
Sara you crack me up! I LOVE your personality. I have to admit I am a cookie snob. I also have to admit I own a Silpat and have never baked with it. I guess it is time to pull it out and use it. Thanks for the great tips!
Thanks Sara! I am always on the lookout for the perfect sugar recipe and was actually just thinking about making some with the kids. They probaby won't be as pretty as yours, but I bet they'll taste good!
I made these today with the kids, and we love them!! So great. We also made the glaze, which makes the cookies super yummy. Although, if I wasn't in the mood to make any frosting, I would totally eat them all plain, lol.
I'm brand new to your site, and I am completely intrigued! Especially because I have a special love for baking (not cooking) and am a big believer in making sure both taste AND looks (like REAL butter, always!) measure up. I have a deep love for the RIGHT kind of sugar cookie (with frosting) otherwise they aren't worth the calories. And I LOVE mine. But you have intrigued me enough to try yours along with the Glace frosting. Looks really fun, and sounds still yummy. Thanks, and I really like the write ups. Great job.
I left the comment above but was accidentally logged in as my husband, Tucker. I'm Jamie :-)
Thanks for answering all my questions. I'm inspired to use my silpat and make these cookies. Thank you!
Yum! I'm new to your blog (via Sherelle C.'s) and don't know how I missed it before now. I've enjoyed reading your sugar cookie tutorial and pictures. They look beautiful and I can't wait to try making (and eating) them. I enjoy baking, especially this time of year. Thank you so much for sharing all your cookie tips! Oh, and I think the Silpat and Roul'pat need to be on my wish list!
Hi, thanks for the sugar cookie and icing recipes! I love your blog!
I was just wondering what would happen if margarine was used instead of butter?
Also, where would I find a silpat?
Melissa- Real butter is always going to best in baking (with the exception of Kate's chocolate chip cookies that somehow need a bit of margarine to work their magic!) But as a general rule of thumb, always use real butter. Margarine has additives, moisture, air..it's all different depending on the brand. The #1 difference is taste. You'll get the best flavor from butter, especially in something like sugar cookies where butter is a main ingredient.
As for the Silpat, you can find them all over now. Click on our store link on the right hand of the page and you'll see a link to one from Amazon. You can also find them in any kitchen store, or places like Linens n' Things. Target and Walmart might have them as well. They come in all sizes, so make sure to check which size you're buying before you do.
Yay! I love cookies! I'm excited to try these tomorrow as a little family activity. Though decorating cookies with a two-year-old sounds a bit...ambitious?
Hi, Im new to this, so could you email what "Shape the dough into 2 flat disks and wrap in waxed paper and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours. " means? What do the disks look like, and how big are they? Thanks for the recipe!
oh Waddledee don't worry, that's not a technical phrase at all! All you have to do is put the dough in the fridge :)
I just take it out of the mixing bowl (so I can wash the bowl) and then I take the dough and divide in half. Less dough is easier to work with and it will chill faster. So I take the two dough balls and pat them down just to flatten them a little (again, only so it will chill faster) and wrap in waxed paper, or plastic wrap or whatever. Does that make sense? Like I said, it just means "stick it in the fridge" lol.
Oh ok! Wheuff! (or whatever)
Good. I am about to make the dough, so thanks for the prompt reply! :) Wish me luck
Seems that in honor of your post, Amazon has a Silpat sale: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008T960?tag=slickdeals
Thanks for the heads up Heather! 10 bucks is a GREAT deal on a Silpat!
Okay. I made these cookies a few days ago, and they didn't turn out quite like yours.
First, I used margarine instead of butter. (shame on me) When I mixed everything together, the dough was still goopie, so I added more flour.
I baked them for 8 minutes. They were a little soft, but then turned hard .. probably from all the flour.
Does real butter help the dough not be so goopie?
Melissa Melissa Melissa... I can't help ya if you use margarine AND extra flour! lol That's the problem right there girl. Try it as the recipe is written and you shouldn't have any problems. The dough isn't goopy, so you shouldn't have to add anything extra. If it's just really soft, then you just need to make sure it chills for long enough. When it's completely chilled, it's actually quite hard, so goopy-ness shouldn't be a problem. Hope you try it again with more success!
Just wonderful! This recipe is very simple and wonderful. I made these this afternoon. I will give you a link of the finished product later. Thanks for posting this! =)
Thanks so much for the recipe. I made these with my daughters on Christmas Eve and they were great. I also made some icing using your recipe and I loved it.
Sara, have you ever written down that Almond Buttercream recipe?? I am totally wanting to make these today. I know you wrote a basic recipe down, and I may go off of it, but just wondering if you have more exact recipe?
Kara, I totally haven't written it down. Mostly because right after I posted about these I started a diet! lol. But I think when I wrote it down before I said I used equal parts cream cheese and butter, and that's not true. I probably use twice as much butter than cream cheese. So just go with that, and add sugar till it's just sweet and some almond and vanilla extract. Can't really go wrong with those ingredients!
I've been looking for a good sugar cookie recipe and this was my answer! I made them and loved the result. Thanks for sharing!
Glad to know that there are other sugar cookie "snobs" and have admitted it's okay to proudly claim it. I'm making these for my nieces birthday with pink frosting :)
Sara,
I just gone done making the dough (with my special little helper), and I have a question. When all done, my dough was really crumbly in the bowl, is that supposed to be? I was able to mash it all together into two balls, and my little taste tester said it was yummy dough, but I just wanted to know if it's supposed to be totally crumbly. Thanks.
Amber- no, it shouldn't be be crumbly, in fact it's usually on the soft side before it's chilled (once chilled completely it gets pretty hard)did you real butter?
Sara,
Hmm, I am totally stumped. I did use real butter (it's all I cook with). I wonder what I did wrong. The cookies tasted great in the end. I'll have to try it again and just have more cookies to eat :)
What does the "t" stand for??
teaspoon or tablespoon.....??
Thanks!
Adriana- a lowercase "t" in a recipe always stands for teaspoon and a capital "T" is always Tablespoon :)
Thank you! I thought so but I wanted to make sure!
I couldn't find a key anywhere! lol
I am going to make the dough right now. I hope they come out yummy! I haven't had a great let alone a good sugar cookie in sometime. I like them to be soft. So, I hope this will be the one!
I'll let you know! Thanks!
So, I made the cookies. I was doing a test run for a craft day with the kids. (Making shamrocks for them to frost on St.Patty's)
I ended up making the batch for a birthday party we went to today. They were a hit. They loved them and I am about to forward on the recipe to the others.
For me...I would like them a bit more sweeter...
But they are good cookies, don't get me wrong! My son and husband ate them up!
It's a keeper and now to try out those breadsticks! I think I'll have all my meals taken care of for a while now! I have a lot of new recipes to try out! ;)
I made some shamrock cookies with this recipe and on several cookies my "leaves" broke. Any idea what I did wrong to make that happen? Is there a way to fix it. like some sort of cookie glue???
Oh, I'm sorry some of your shamrocks broke. That's not very lucky, is it? lol. That can happen sometimes with sugar cookies when there's a larger piece connected to the cookie by a smaller piece (like leaves). One thing that will help is to roll the cookies a little thinner and cook them a little longer Thick, soft cookies will break a lot easier because of the weight. And cookie glue? Yes- it's called frosting! haha. I personally like broken cookies because it gives me an excuse to eat them :)
OK, so I am making lots of sugar cookies lately...but today has me frustrated.
I can get 1 or 2 cookies onto the cookie sheet before the dough turns to goo.
I pre-rolled the dough last night in between 2 sheets of wax paper. I did the same thing last time and was able to get about 4 cookies before the dough turned to goo.
So, is there some kind of trick I am not thinking of to get more shapes out?
I followed what you have written exactly.
:(
Hi- I am a newbie to your site and seriously haven't gotten anything done around my house for the past 2days because i can't seem to do anything else during nap time but look at new, fun recipes. I would love to try these sugar cookies but my oldest is allergic to nuts of all kinds- and therefore i cannot use almond extract--what else should i use in place of that?? any suggestions. in fact--there are a ton of your recipes that call for PB that i wish i could make. but that is just the way the 'cookie' crumbles i guess huh?
anyway--love love love this site. thanks so much for taking the time to help all of us moms out! it is much appreciated by me and i am sure my hubby will soon agree!!
Hi Sara,
I'm planning to make cookie pops for my son's 1st birthday, how many cookies did this recipe yield?
Thanks :)
Marcy- by all means, use any flavor you like! If you can't do almond try vanilla :)
Kristie- the yield depends on the size of cookie cutter and the thickness of the dough. The last time I made 2" cookies on the thin side I got 40-50. If you want to make a good sized cookie, I would double it because you can always freeze the left overs :)
thanks hun--that is totally what i thought but i didn't want to mess them up somehow without asking first!! can't wait to try them!
Thanks Sara, sorry for replying u late. My son has not been feeling well the last few days.
Thanks for ur reply, I will half recipe and try out first!
Hi Sara,
I finally tried out this recipe, I used almond extract and it tastes really yummy.
I have a few problems though:
-The dough was really soft to handle even though I chilled it in the fridge. Therefore, while cutting the dough using cutters, it was so soft and it broke, I hand to really handle it with TLC... Is this normal?
-I followed ur instructions for cookie pops, I placed a stick and directly place dough on top of it, halfway up and pressed it slightly. However, after baking, the cookie didn't adhere to the stick, is it cos I didnt press hard enough?
Thanks.
Kristie- nope, none of that sounds normal! Did you use real butter? Are you sure everything was measured correctly? I'm not sure why it would be super soft. After chilling it's actually on the super firm side. But I know somewhere in the comments someone else asked the same question- so I'd love to pinpoint your problem!
Hi Sara,
I am going to give this another try tonight and this time I am going to try other methods to ensure the sticks adhere to the dough after baking... wish me luck.
Will 'report' back here after 'work' :)
These looked so cute, I had to run to the kitchen and whip some up. I have 6 batches cooling in the fridge for tomorrow right now :)
I tried your sugar cookie recipe for my nephew's 1st Halloween B-day Party & they were a huge hit, everybody loved them. I'll have to try the glace icing next, I just used store bought cookie decorating icing, thanks.
My son and I used this recipe to make our Halloween cookies and they held their shape very well. We did cats, ghosts and pumpkins and used the glace icing recipe from your site to top them. This was my first time making cookies from scratch; it was easy and they were awesome! I can't wait to make more at Christmas!
I just made these last night for a church activity. I have a 'go-to' recipe for sugar cookies, but realized I didn't have one of the ingredients. Not wanting to haul the kiddos to the store, I looked to see what OBB had. I've tried many recipes in the past and always loved the results, so I committed to the cookies!
They are different from my cookies, but they were wonderful! The flavor was delicious and the glace icing was beautiful! Thanks for helping me out of a pinch!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Finally a sugar cookie and icing that taste amazing and look fabulous too! I made these for a bake sale and people were really excited and they sold right away.
I've tried to make sugar cookies before, and they just turned out bad, especially the icing.
Sugar cookies sound yummy!! Do you have the recipe for the Almond Cream Cheese Frosting too? Thanks!
do u use a mixer(hand)or kitchen aid to cream sugar and butter?
Josie, use a KitchenAid if you have one... :)
I just made these cookies with the glace icing. I have to say, these were by far one of the best sugar cookies I've had. And they were so pretty! The icing was so easy to make, and use! My cookies always have looked like a 5 year old has decorated them, but not this year! They were gorgeous...I've already gotten compliments on them! Thank you so much for these recipes! I'm already planning to make another batch for gifts. The only problem I had was that no matter how much I floured my rolling pin, the dough still seemed to stick to the pin...it was almost like the dough had air bubbles, too? In the end though, the cookies were still worth the time it took to roll them out! Thank you! I just adore your blog!
Jen
I have to repeat what everyone else has already said because these are definitely the best sugar cookies I've ever made...and as an added bonus they require so few ingredients and they were easy to make. I did run into the problem of really crumbly dough (I used real butter and measured correctly) so I just added a tablespoon of milk and it remedied the problem. I can't wait to decorate them, although they already taste good without the icing.
After reading all the great comments on this cookie recipe I decided I had to try it myself. I've never done cookies like this before. I put the dough in the fridge overnight and it is rock hard this morning..is it supposed to be this hard or did I do something wrong? I followed the directions exactly I'm sure.
Jaymie- nope, that sounds right! This dough gets very hard if chilled for extended periods of time. That's why the instructions say to chill for 1-2 hours. But overnight is just fine, you'll just need to leave it out at room temp and when it's soft enough to handle, go for it!
Thanks Sara, I was concerned that I would never be able to roll it out with it being that hard. Also, I read in the other comments that some people had a problem with it being kinda crumbly. I had that problem too and I followed your directions exactly. Any tips on what to do if that happens the next time I make them? The dough tastes yummy by the way ;)
Ya know, that's just how it is. I think it's a matter of making it enough times that you get a feel for how the dough works. You should only have the crumbly problem if you try and roll it out when it's too cold. The easiest thing is probably to use the tip mentioned in the post. Before you chill the dough at all, roll it between 2 sheets of parchment or waxed paper and *then* pop them in the fridge. That seems to work the best!
I am so sad! I followed this recipe exact, although I did double the batch, and the dough turned out WAY too crumbly. I would have put less in, but my baking powder and salt was already mixed in the flour. I counted 6 cups of flour out loud as I measured exactly each one into the bowl, otherwise I would have just assummed I misscounted. Are you sure that if you double it, you would add 6 cups of flour?
My dough was super crumbly too! I double checked the instructions, and I had everything right... I just added some water...which probably was not smart, but I am out of milk! The dough is in the fridge right now, so I won't know if my water remedy helped or not for awhile.
I had the same crumby problem with my dough. it got very crumbly and it was very difficult to roll it flat between the wax paper before I put it in the fridge. I haven't made my cookies yet so I'm not sure how it will turn out.
I'm not sure what the crumbly issue is! I make these from the recipe here on the blog so I know it's written right. Are you using large eggs? Or extra large? That could definitely make a difference. Otherwise maybe some sort of environmental factor, or maybe you're just used to softer doughs? I wish I had a better answer!
I did use just large eggs. Did you use extra large eggs? I added milk to the dough and got it to the point where it started to stick together, and the cookies turned out, but without the milk it would have been impossible to roll.
Thank YOU so much for sharing the recipe. These cookies are great; everyone loves them (and the icing). I love that they remain soft even after a few days. I didn't have any break up on me after I iced and boxed them. It's a hit with the kids too. :)
I'm not a big fan of sugar cookies b/c most of them taste like cardboard, but I love how pretty they look once decorated. So I thought I'd give your recipe a try, after 2 stops at the grocery store on the way home (1st for Flour & Karo Syrup, 2nd for Real Butter - I read the other post so I knew the 2nd stop was a must) I haven't even baked the cookies yet (they are chilling in my fridge) and this is already the BEST SUGAR COOKIE RECIPIE EVER.... I couldn't stop eating the uncooked dough. I used lemon extract and added a bit of fresh grated nutmeg simply b/c I love the smell and I like the way the nutmeg looks sprinkled throughout the dough. Can’t wait to bake them later on today.
OH MY GOODNESS!!! I just made these cookies and they are amazing!! This is the first time I have ever made sugar cookies from scratch and they turned out perfect. Yum yum yum!
So I'm in this long distance relationship with my boyfriend and he's coming over in a few days and my valentines "treat" for him is cookies. I wanted a third of the recipe to be chocolate, so I fluffed up the butter and sugar(and whatnot), separated out a third, mixed up the flour mixture and separated a third of that, then I added 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the removed third of flour as about with the measurements from this post http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateSugarCookie.html
So to make sure I did this right I mixed the chocolate first and this is where I realized by adding the cocoa it needed more moisture; of course this is after I've added more of the butter fluff than intended. So now both of them are dry and I don't feel like thawing out more butter to fluff so I just added an egg to each and compensated any extra moisture with flour.... any tips you have for making this recipe chocolate without the trouble I ran in to?
and I'm baking them later so I hope the egg won't mess them up
( made homemade puppy(for chocolate) and heart(for normal) cookie cutters out of card stock tape and a lot of will power, surprisingly they work great.)
spiritleaf- You don't want to just add cocoa powder, you want to *remove* some of the flour first. I have made these chocolate before with excellent results. I think I replaced about 1/4 C of the flour with cocoa. You could also probably keep all of the flour and add in some melted chocolate but I've never tried it that way. Good luck!
I baked the chocolate dough and it turned out pretty tasty just hard to roll out and when it finally loosened it's grip on being frozen it didn't want to work with the cookie cutters. but I forced it into submission and it was worth it! thanks for the tips and your blog has completely sucked me in I have a "recipes" bookmark folder that's just filled with things from here; not to mention having our best bites on my hotbar.
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Homemade sugar cookies that taste good on their own... now that's a fantastic concept! :)
I'd really like to give it a try and was wondering if you could please say how you measure the flour, or how much one cup should weigh?
Thank you for a wonderul blog!
Micky- just never scoop flour with your measuring cup. Use a spoon to lightly spoon it into your cup and then level it with a knife. That should work just fine!
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for!!!! It reminded me of my camp cookies, these were amazing, and the batter, was definitely considering putting some in the freezer as you mentioned, to die for!
- Sam
http://flavorator.blogspot.com/
Hey!! this will be yet another recipe i can't wait to try of yalls!! Thinking that its going to be a baking weekend and this will be added to my list!!!! Do you think this dough would be a good "freezer" recipe? I like to keep homeade stuff on hand in the freezer to have some quick bakes for guests!!! Also, which icing is used for the pink cookies? I want to try the glace icing, but the pink looks absolutely delicious!!!
Kristen,
Yes, this dough works great for the freezer. You can freeze the raw dough, or the baked cookies. Both works great. The pink frosting is just butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. I don't measure, just whip it up!
Sara,
Thanks so much! I might just do a double batch and freeze half! Thanks for all the great posts and recipes!!! Brightens my day everytime!
Sara,
I made these this morning, and I had the crumbly problem everyone else is having. Here are my thoughts: the recipe calls for one egg, but the directions say "add in eggs and extract". Should you really use two eggs? I thought maybe that was the answer so I added another egg and they turned out terrifically. But I'd really love to know if you've been successful with just one egg. The dough was practically powder in the bowl.
Thanks for the recipe. Even though I changed it a little, these cookies were great!
nope, the recipe is correct as written, one egg. The plural in the directions is just a typo because I halved my original recipe for this post. I honestly have never ever had that problem so I'm not quite sure why! Are you using a stand mixer? If you are mixing my hand or with a hand mixer I could see why it would be crumbly, but with a stand mixer it comes together after mixing enough. That's the only thing I can think of!
Sara,
These are by far the best sugar cookies IN THE WORLD! My husband isn't a huge fan of sweets so i usually eating anything I make myself! This time i had to fight him off!!! He loved them. I did freeze half and they turned out great when i got them out of the freezer!!!!
Sara, These are amazing! I just made a huge batch for my daughter's bday. I have a question though, the party is on sunday (friday now), should I freeze them or are they still good in two days? Also, if I didnt freeze them, how early can I decorate? I was going to use the glaze icing, does it stay good if i decorate tonight or should I do that saturday? Thanks so much!
Thanks for the great recipe. I made flower cookie pops for my daughter's tea party and now am making baseball cookies for my son. I think the problem people are having with the crumbling dough is due to too much flour. I'm thinking they are scooping and not lightly spooning into the cup. It makes quite a difference in flour quantity.
Hi Sara,
I'm into baking cakes and breads, but this is my first time doing sugar cookies. I had a little bit of a problem with my dough, mine came out super soft after I mixed everything (followed exact measurements and used real butter etc.), after I chilled it, it was firm so I thought I didn't do anything wrong but while I was cutting it, it's not holding it's shape so I can't choose the cutter that my son wants to use so I ended up with a heart shape. What do you think went wrong? By the way, I sifted my flour then I measured it just like I'm used to making my breads. Was sifting the flour made a big difference or I under mixed my dough? Help!
But your cookies were great! It's really a keeper. Thanks!!
Susan, I honestly don't know what to tell you! Sounds like you did everything right. It does get very hard when chilled so you might want to try the trick I mentioned about rolling it before chilling. Other than that, maybe just give it another shot and see it works better for ya!
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