‘Tis the season for… COOKIES. So here is an excellent quick and easy basic sugar cookie recipe that even the cookie rookie can handle. My apology for the left brain decoration but it’s the taste that matters.
I love a good sugar cookie with icing. The inspiration recipe is called The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies from All Recipes. I looked around a lot, but all sugar cookie recipes are similar, not identical but just very similar. So I went with the best rated simple recipe that even a Cookie Rookie can handle. I cut it down and added the glaze. Also lots of pictures and instructions.
Now for my left brain confession. I can not decorate a cookie worth anything. I’m science and math guy, not art. So I made not great attempt to dazzle you with my decoration (or photography) skills. But they do taste great. Use your skill and imagination for the decorations.
Rating
This is an excellent cookie.
Notes:
The original recipe used plain baking pans. While OK, you will be happier with parchment paper or baking mats like I used. Second, like almost all recipes with rolled dough, flour was recommended during the rolling of the dough. Use powdered sugar instead. It will just blend in and no danger of flour spots on your beautiful cookies.
Cooking time will vary some. You can go with a thicker 1/2 inch for chewy or about 1/4 inch for crispy. I did 3/8 since I can’t decide.
Sweetness note. I have had sweeter cookies but if I want to eat sugar, I would.
Other Easy Deserts
Healthier Low Fat Brownie with Cream Cheese Frosting Under 200 Calories
Start with 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter. Soften a little either by resting at room temperature or 10-15 seconds in a microwave. Add one cup sugar to the butter. Cream together with a mixer.
Add two eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
Add 2 1/2 cup flour, one teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep baking sheets. I suggest covering with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Dust a prep area with some powdered sugar. I used a larger baking mat for my area. Form the dough into a ball and place on the mat. Flatten and then roll out with a rolling pin. Use lots of powder sugar on the mat and top of the dough to prevent sticking. Roll to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
Cut with cookie cutter. Here I’m using boring 3 inch round since I couldn’t find the Christmas cutters.
Lay out on a cookie sheet keeping at least one inch apart. They will spread out during cooking. Work quickly reusing the scraps and keep dusting the surface and dough with the powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Continue to cut cookies until done.
See the browning on edge of cookie
Bake until the edge of cookie is starting brown a little. About 7-8 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and allow to set for about a minute then move to cooling rack.
After cooled, it is time for decoration. I went with a simple glaze. Mix one cup powdered sugar, one tablespoon butter, two drops vanilla and 3-4 teaspoon milk. Add a few drops of food coloring of choice. Mix well.
Brush glaze on the cookies.
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Easy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter - softened - 1 1/2 stick
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 drops vanilla
- 3-4 teaspoon milk
- food coloring as desired
Instructions
- Start with 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter. Soften a little either by resting at room temperature or 10-15 seconds in a microwave. Add one cup sugar to the butter. Cream together with a mixer.
- Add two eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
- Add 2 1/2 cup flour, one teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep baking sheets. I suggest covering with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Dust a prep area with some powdered sugar. I used a larger baking mat for my area.
- Form the dough into a ball and place on the mat. Flatten and then roll out with a rolling pin. Use lots of powder sugar on the mat and on top of the dough to prevent sticking. Roll to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
- Cut with cookie cutter. Here I'm using boring 3 inch round since I couldn't find the Christmas cutters.
- Lay out on a cookie sheet keeping at least one inch apart. They will spread out during cooking.
- Work quickly reusing the scraps and keep dusting the surface and dough with the powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Continue to cut cookies until done.
- Bake until the edge of cookie is starting brown a little. About 7-8 minutes. Do not over bake.
- Remove from oven and allow to set for about a minute then move to cooling rack.
- After cooled, it is time for decoration. I went with a simple glaze. Mix one cup powdered sugar, one tablespoon butter, two drops vanilla and 3-4 teaspoon milk. Add a few drops of food coloring of choice. Mix well.
- Brush glaze on the cookies.
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Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
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