My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

I have made a lot of decorated sugar cookies over the years.
While my techniques and skills have changed a lot, one thing has stayed constant.

I have used the same sugar cookie recipe! Yes, I have made a few changes along the way, simple modifications.

But, for the most part it is the same.

I have been thinking for some time that I wanted to share my go to recipe, and when a reader sent me a sweet email, asking if I share my recipe, I thought today would be the perfect time.

Now, I want to talk about WHY I love this recipe so much, why it works for me.
This is a recipe that is designed to give a thick and soft cookie, if you like thin and crisp cookies, this is not the recipe for you.
This recipe requires sour cream, if sour cream grosses you out, move to another recipe.
I roll my cookies THICK, 3/8 inch thick.
This recipe cooks SLOW and LOW. A cookie that is 3.5-4 inches thick, requires a baking time of 22-23 minutes.
I think it is very important to NOT over crowd your cookie sheet, I typically, only put 6 cookies on a sheet at once.
I use the convection setting on my oven, set at 300, and bake two sheets at a time. My oven automatically adjusts when using the convection setting, I set it to 325, and it adjusts to 300.
These cookie will "puff" a little, if you want a flat surface for decorating, as soon as they come out of the oven, gently smooth the tops with a fondant smoother or spatula.
This cookie is NOT very sweet. It works great for me, as I only decorate using Glaze, which is very sweet, so the cookie and the glaze together, yield a perfect amount of sweetness.

This recipe is very adaptable, flavor wise.
Like orange flavor, add orange extract.
Want a chocolate cookie, take out 1/2 flour, and add 1/2 cocoa powder, you will get an almost brownie like cookie.
Want a simple cookie, you can color the dough, dip them in sanding sugar, and no decorating required.
I have made cookies 5 inches big, and cookies 1.5 inches, just adapt the baking time.
In a hurry, cool, this recipe requires not chilling time, mix it, roll, cut and go.
Love butter cream? These cookies taste great topped with butter cream and sprinkles.
Fan of Nutella? Spread Nutella on it...YUMMY!

So there you go..my favorite sugar cookie recipe.
If you are interested in my glaze recipe, let me know...I would be happy to share that sometime in the future.






My Favorite Sugar Cookie
Printable Version

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lb 10oz all purpose flour *
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla, & sour cream. Blend in dry ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough to desired thickness ( I do my 3/8 inch thick). Cut into shapes. Place cookies on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake approx 20 minutes or until middle is set (firm to the touch). I like to let them cool, on the cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
This recipe yields approximately 20- 25 medium cookies.

*note about the amount of flour…sometimes this varies…I usually start with 4 ¼ cup and then add flour until the dough is not sticky….you don’t want it dry and crumbly….but not sticky, I like it the consistency of play dough…sometimes 4 ¼ cups gets me there…sometimes I add up to 5 cups. I mix my dough in a KitchenAid mixer…when the dough does not stick to the bowl anymore, that is perfect.



I hope you enjoy...happy baking.

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