Sugar Cookies

It's cookie day!

First up? The ever intimidating Sugar Cookie. It wasn't my intention to post this recipe first, but since we had them for dinner this past Sunday when my kids begged and begged and BEGGED for Sugar Cookies, I've got em on the brain. And I also have the dough in my freezer. (Did you know sugar cookie dough still tastes fabulous when frozen? It does.) I SHOULD have taken a picture before we devoured them... but since my camera is only minimally functional, taking pictures is never ever fun. (I'll post about my camera woes another day. Seriously. It's pretty tragic.) Would you believe me if I told you they looked exactly like Loft House cookies down to the very last sprinkle?

Because they absolutely did.

But guess what? They tasted way better.

It took me a long time to find my Sugar Cookie groove. The whole chilling/rolling/cutting factor often scared me away. But this recipe has me converted. Especially because I gave up the rolling and cutting stages and opted for simple shaping. I roll the dough into balls, then squash them with the end of a glass, and get perfectly round and pretty cookies every single time. Who would have thought a sugar cookie tastes just as good even when it isn't shaped like a snowman? Here's the recipe:

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies


1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
4 Tbsp. milk
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt


Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and milk. Mix well. Mix together dry ingredients, then add to the butter/sugar mix slowly. Chill dough for one hour. 


To make round cookies: Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Use the end of a glass and gently press on each ball, until flat. (If you don't plan to frost your cookies, you can roll the balls in sugar to add a little more sweetness... If I'm not frosting, I  like to use sugar crystal sprinkles, added to the flattened cookies just before baking.)


Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. (I never bake longer than 6 minutes. I like my cookies soft... the full 8 minutes tends to make them crispier.)

Frosting? I wish I had a concrete recipe I could give you... I generally start with a stick of butter, then add powdered sugar (around 3 cups) until I get a consistency I'm happy with. I'll add vanilla (2-3 tsp.), of course, and a little milk or cream (2-3 Tbsp. or more, if needed) to keeps things moist. Even unfrosted though, these cookies are great... and the recipe is basic enough I think you could dress them up in lots of different ways. The dough is also a great consistency for rolling and cutting cookies, if, you know, you're the ambitious type.

Edited post publish to add an actual picture. See? I told you they look like Loft House Cookies...