I heart SUGAR COOKIES

I have the BEST sugar cookie recipe. It's Kenny's sisters. It's my kids favorite sugar cookie. They beg me to make these sugar cookies. I have tried many sugar cookie recipes and I will have to agree, this one is the best. It's full of flavor, and it melts in your mouth. I have tasted many sugar cookies that just feel flat in the flavor department, but not this one. Buttery, rich, with a hint of vanilla.

I do need to warn you that this dough is quite soft. You will want to work fast when rolling it out, because if you work with it too much, it will get sticky and become hard to work with.

Don't let me scare you, if my 12yr old daughter can handle this dough, I am sure you can too.


Sugar Cookies

printable recipe

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 1/4-1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 drop lemon juice

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Cream together sugars and butter. On low speed gradually add the vegetable oil. Cream until smooth.

Ok, you should add eggs one at a time. That's what the printable directions say to do. I was feeling hyper and in a hurry so I added the eggs and vanilla all together and mixed until creamed together.


In separate mixing bowl or large measuring cup, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar. Gradually add to the butter mixture.


Mix on medium for approximately 5 minutes. If dough seems too sticky add an additional 1/4 cup flour. Dough tends to be soft, so restrain yourself from wanting to add even more flour.


Separate into 2-4 sections, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum 2 hours. I refrigerated mine over night.


Dig through your cookie cutters and find the appropriate cutter for the holiday. I have a whole bucket of cookies cutters. Thanks to my garage sale loving Aunt who has made quite a collection for me with her finds. Thanks Aunt Barb.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove a section of dough from frig and generously dust counter top with flour.


Make sure you give your dough a flip so that it is covered with flour on both sides. This dough is very tender and as it starts to warm up will get sticky and hard to handle. So you kind of need to move fast....or at least not at snail speed.

Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch.

If dough starts to crack....

just give it a pat with your fingers and that will make it feel better.

Cut out the chosen shapes. You might want to use a spatula to transfer dough to lined baking sheets. Place them at least 2" apart on sheet, giving them room to grow while baking.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Don't over bake. Cookies will poof up a bit, but you don't want them to brown on top, just barely browned around the bottom edge.

Now squish your dough back into a ball and start over until dough is used up. If dough feels like it has gotten too sticky, toss in a zip-loc bag and put back in frig, grab the next section of dough. This dough freezes well too. Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Take out of freezer and let rest on counter for 15 minutes or so before rolling out to cut cookies.

Here you can see the pan on the left I gave cookies enough space and the pan on the right got a little bit too cozy with each other.

Now it's time to ice your cookies. Oh I am a master at this. As you can see from the cookie that looks like it encountered a drive by shooting. YIKES!

I am not even going to attempt to tell you how to decorate a cookie. Because I stink at it. So if you want to make some really beautiful artsy cool cookies then go see I am Baker.

Because here are mine above, and hers below.

BAh hahahaha BAhAHAH ahaha HA!

I know it's hysterical that I even attempted to show you my decorated cookies.

Look at that. Perfect-A-mundo!

And these she did for a wedding.

And these so detailed, and romantic.

And these were done by a 41 year old lacking in the department of cookie decorating skills.

Egads. My kids did a better job at decorating than me.

I will say these cookies are, in the words of my father, scrump-dilly-icious! So whether you have a knack for decorating or not, I can promise you they will taste delicious. I actually left half of mine unfrosted. They are great for dunking.

I love you Amanda, but can I just say...you stink! I mean that in love. How do you do these cookies with little whipper snappers running here and there, and then one on the way. The patience of Job, I tell ya!

I am Baker has a gift, a true talent, plus she is one of the nicest people I know.

GO check out her site to see her beautiful creations and incredibly delicious sweet treats!

XOXOXO