Since tomorrow's Valentine's Day I thought it might be a good time to talk about sugar cookies. I am always on the quest for the best sugar cookie recipe and regretfully I don't think I've found it. I've tried lots that are good, but haven't found one that is the BEST!
Right now, I crave a sugar cookie from Cutler's Cookies. They may not be the prettiest sugar cookies around, but they seriously might be the yummiest.
They are so yummy, flaky, soft and delicious. If you live in Utah and haven't had one, you must make every effort to get there. And while you're at it taste a brownie marshmallow cookie. To die for!
Schmidt's Bakery (found at The Store in SLC) is a close second in my book when it comes to sugar cookies. Similar look, similar taste.
Because I don't have recipes for my beloved Schmidt's or Cutler's cookies, I thought it would be fun to share our favorite sugar cookie recipes! So just reply to this post and add yours OR create a new blog post with it. And if you try someone else's recipe, please provide feedback!
I've posted my go-to recipe below, but first want to share the greatest sugar cookie tip: after the dough is chilled, instead of rolling it out onto a floured surface, roll it between two pieces of wax paper. It's a little slow in the beginning since the dough is so cold, but works great! Then you don't compromise the texture and flavor of your cookies my inadvertently adding too much flour during the rolling process.
So my fallback recipe, the one I keep returning to is from "A Pinch of Salt Lake" cookbook. (On a side note, this was my mom's favorite cookbook when I was growing up. It's a classic, and I know a lot of my neighbors loved it, too. This Jr League book has been out of print since the late 80s. Last night on a whim I looked it up on Amazon and found it for under $3 plus $4 in shipping! So of course I ordered it and can't wait for my copy to arrive. I also picked up this one that is totally a classic and much-loved, much-used in SLC.)
2 cups butter
2 cups powder sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 T vanilla
1/2 T almond extract (optional)
2 eggs
5 cups flour
3/4 T baking soda
3/4 T cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter, sugars, extracts and egg until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients. Chill dough. Roll out 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes or until edges brown ever so slightly.
This year, however, I might try this recipe from Kneaders! I'm a little skeptical, but also intrigued - honey? nutmeg? lemon flavor (what is that, by the way?)?
2 cups butter
2 ¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
7 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp lemon flavor
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp honey
1. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add eggs, then milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl often.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dough will be soft and sticky.
4. Place dough on well floured pastry cloth or workspace.
5. Knead in just enough flour to make dough workable. Dough will be very soft. It is best to knead with a rolling motion so you have a smooth surface and you will not get cracks on the tops of your cookies.
6. Gently roll out to 3/8 inch thick.
7. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheet lined with parchment.
8. Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes or until just the edges barely start to change colors. Makes approx. 4 dozen.
Icing
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp corn syrup
3 Tbsp milk
¼ tsp lemon flavor
1. Mix together all ingredients until smooth.
Dip cookie in icing and smooth with side of palm of hand. Let set. Decorate with icing, chocolate chips, candy, coconut etc.
Now it's your turn to share. What is your favorite sugar cookie recipe?
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1 comment:
great idea Missy
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