The Best Sugar Cookies

The Best Sugar Cookies - Festive, Easy and Fun to Make with Friends
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For many years I would spend days each holiday season making decorated sugar cookies. I started the tradition in my twenties with a girlfriend and we made hundreds of cookies that we rolled, cut out, decorated and gave to friends. I continued on with that tradition for many years when my kids where small and it became a fun family holiday experience for all of us as they got old enough to help and they enjoyed sharing them with our neighbors, friends and family.

But one day, there were no little girls there wanting to help mommy make snowman or Santa sugar cookies and I was ready for something simpler. I’ll keep that big box of cookie cutters for the time when my children marry and have their own children I can make them with, but for me…these are the next best thing.

I’ve been using this recipe for several years and know it’s been around for some time but no matter because I think they are perfect for me today. They may be simpler to make than cutout cookies, but have a great taste and texture; so good, so light and so crisp. They are perfectly wonderful with just a dusting of sugar, and for the holidays of course I’ll have a bunch of holiday colored sugars and some wonderful sparkle cookie decorations from King Arthur Flour’s website handy but for something more special, I still love to add a layer of frosting before those sprinkles!

One year I volunteered to host the South Metro Cooking Club Meetup at my home and we spent an afternoon with an assembly line of cookie making. Knowing we would have up to 15 people here making and decorating cookies, I thought this recipe ideal. It was quite the production. Two people making batches of dough, two making frosting, two managing the baking and the rest of us either decorating or maybe just drinking wine and chatting up guests (yes, me…so?).

I had been sent two bottles of wine from Charity Case Wines to sample and thought this would be the perfect afternoon. Top Napa wineries donate the “pink” wine removed while making reds to Charity Case, which turns it into a lovely rosé. All proceeds from these wines go to children’s causes. The rosé is fabulous; it’s a gorgeous blush color and we found it light and dry and filled with fruit on the nose. Not sweet but certainly a fruity wine, I thought it paired well with a wide assortment of appetizers brought by the members of our group.

The second bottle was a Sauvignon Blanc; one of the few white wines I actually enjoy! I love the citrus notes found in SB and this wine did not disappoint as it had a very distinct lemon and apricot nose. Fermented in oak barrels, it has a long, creamy finish. I actually served this after the party to some neighbors that came over with some sauteed shrimp and cheese and we only wished we had another bottle!

Follow this group on Twitter and see if you can locate their wines in your local wine shop; they are priced right, taste wonderful and all of it is done to support children. How can you go wrong?

We had a blast so I hope this will become a regular tradition each year and I hope you try some of these cookies too!

The Best Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Yield: 6-8 dozen

These cookies are great just rolled in sugar (see notes for some suggestions) and are perfect for the holidays with some buttercream frosting and holiday decorations.

Ingredients

    For the Cookies:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup packed powdered sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • For the Buttercream Frosting:
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 3-4 cups confectioners sugar; lighten up by whisking in a bowl, not sifting
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Preparation

    To Make the Cookies:
  1. Cream butter and add sugars and mix well. Blend in oil, eggs and vanilla, in that order. Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture and beat til thoroughly combines. Roll into balls and flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
  3. Remove from cookie sheets after a minute or two and then allow to cool completely.
  4. To Make the Frosting:
  5. Beat butter for a few minute on medium speed.
  6. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated.
  7. Add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for approximately 3 minutes.
  8. For a stiffer consistency add the remaining sugar. For a thinner consistency add the remaining milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Notes

NOTE:If not frosting the cookies, roll them in sugar before flattening with the glass and baking. Some other suggestions: Combine 2/3 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp cinnamon Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup maple sugar

http://www.creative-culinary.com/the-best-sugar-cookies/

I’m so appreciative of Mary, one of our cooking club members, for taking these photos!

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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Pam December 20, 2012 at 7:40 am

I’ve made many versions of this cookie, but don’t believe they have ever included powdered sugar in the dough. Since I’m always looking for the perfect sugar cookie recipe, I will be trying this one! It just might be the one! Thanks!

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2 Creative Culinary December 20, 2012 at 8:03 am

Love to hear what you think…I love how light and crispy they are; just calls out for a bit of frosting if you ask me!

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3 Glo December 15, 2012 at 12:45 am

I tried this cookie recipe today and cut it in half. I’m not a huge sugar cookie fan but these seemed simple for the holidays. I think the recipe came out too sweet, and your cookies look thicker than mine came out. Would you suggest making larger balls, or not pressing down too hard when flattening them out? The frosting is delicious. Thanks for sharing!

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4 Creative Culinary December 15, 2012 at 10:22 am

Hmm…never considered them too sweet in particular; sort of ‘just right.’ But as far as the pressure…I don’t press them super flat, just enough to take them from a ball shape to a flatter shape; they still spread when baking.

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5 Amelia from Z Tasty Life December 20, 2010 at 7:59 pm

love the Bokeh behind the sprinkles: so festive! We baked and decorated sugar cookies this past week-end…nothing says Xmas more… :)

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6 Paula December 20, 2010 at 9:52 am

I can’t believe there is canola oil and butter in this sugar cookie recipe! They look wonderful and for a woman who doesn’t do a lot of cookie decorating anymore you sure do have a load of supplies there! Merry Christmas Barb. All the best in 2011.

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7 Creative Culinary December 20, 2010 at 10:00 am

Well, I still decorate but am sort of out of the rolling and cutout stage. I actually bought a bunch of beautiful new decorations from King Arthur Flour and would not have even brought out some of those sprinkles; I mean who uses purple for Christmas? Well, my guests did so glad I threw the ‘old’ stuff into the mix!

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8 Creative Culinary December 20, 2010 at 10:02 am

Though I’ve been tempted to see what would happen if I tried all butter, I’ve never taken that leap because I love how these turn out. I’m sure it adds to the lightness of the cookie and the wonderful crisp (but not hard) texture.

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9 Jennifer December 19, 2010 at 5:38 pm

I’ve been wanting to make sugar cookies forever and you’re recipe sounds perfect. And look at all those different colored sprinkles. What fun! My baby’s still too small to help make and decorate cookies, but this sounds like a great tradition for future years.

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10 Courtney December 19, 2010 at 1:51 pm

Mmm, butter cream on a sugar cookie?! I’m all over that!

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11 Creative Culinary December 20, 2010 at 9:58 am

I know! It’s not a necessity but it sure does make for a yummalicious cookie!

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12 My Kitchen in the Rockies December 18, 2010 at 8:50 am

The simple cookies are often the best! I am sure you had a lot of fun baking that day.
Great pictures like always.

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13 Bunkycooks December 18, 2010 at 7:35 am

I like that these cookies are rolled into a ball and not rolled out and cut. Great way to save a few steps this holiday season! Paired with a buttercream frosting (and a few glasses of wine!) they have to be really good! :)

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14 Lea Ann December 18, 2010 at 5:50 am

I’m not a big “sweet” fan but do love a good sugar cookie. Sorry I couldn’t make the blogger meet up at your house, I didn’t get the invitation until Saturday. I love a good Rose wine..especailly on the back deck in warm weather!

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15 Andrea @ Fork Fingers Chopsticks December 17, 2010 at 7:08 pm

This post brought back so many memories from my childhood. It makes me miss my momma. Since I don’t have kids and the neices and nephews live away – it’s not quite as fun.

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16 Mary December 17, 2010 at 10:50 am

Glad you were able to use so many photos. It was a fun time and the recipe was a keeper.

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17 Nancy@acommunaltable December 16, 2010 at 9:43 pm

Ok, first off LOVE the photo of the decorations with the Christmas lights in the backround – can you say “bokeh”?? WOO HOO!!! (I know these might be pre new camera but you really have it going on with that photo!!)
Sounds like you all had a fabulous time – I ‘m hoping I’ll get one more year out of my guys decorating sugar cookies but I have a feeling that even if they stop, I’ll still need to roll and cut the cookies out!!

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18 Creative Culinary December 17, 2010 at 11:20 am

One of our members, Mary, gets all the credit. She came with a camera like the one I had ordered but did not have yet and I was grateful for her to manage that role. I’m not sure I would have gotten one picture…I was in charge of drinking wine, remember? :)

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19 Dinners & Dreams December 16, 2010 at 4:30 pm

The buttercream frosting sounds delicious. I don’t frost much but my daughter loves it. I’ll bookmark for our next cookies.

Nisrine

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20 adrienzgirl December 16, 2010 at 2:54 pm

Those cookies are so pretty. The ones with just the pretty white sugar crystals! Gorgeous! Lots of cookie recipes over at my place today for Share a Spoon. Please feel free to link up if you like!

I’m going to make this recipe this weekend with the rest of my baking for sure!

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21 Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction December 16, 2010 at 8:49 am

Wow… You really have quite the assortment of cookie decorations there. This recipe looks fabulous!

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22 JenniferA December 16, 2010 at 8:13 am

Wine and cookies! Two of my favorite things! I’ve never tried a drop sugar cookie before – I love how easy this is. Thanks for sharing.

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23 abby dodge December 16, 2010 at 8:05 am

I woke up thinking about a nice soft sugar cookie.. and here it is! I might even roll a few in cinn-sugar! Thanks for the recipe and the wine tip too.. Rose and SB both sound right up my taste bud lane

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24 Renee (Kudos Kitchen) December 16, 2010 at 7:56 am

Love your post Barb. Great cookies, great pictures!

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25 Kristen December 16, 2010 at 7:54 am

Gorgeous pictures and gorgeous cookies! They look scrumptious!

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26 Sara December 16, 2010 at 7:53 am

How fun! I have so many wonderful Christmas cookie memories. I can almost taste them. Your photos are beautiful.

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