Best Sugar Cookies Recipe… EVER!

Want to know a secret? I never met a sugar cookie I liked until I met these! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!! You will be seriously addicted to these sugar cookies. What makes these different from all the rest is they are soft and just a tiny bit crunchy; they’re sweet, but not too sweet; they smell like vanilla heaven and you can really sink your teeth into them. I hope you fall in love with these like I have! | www.lakesidetable.com
- Prep Time: 90 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 36 (2 inch) cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 2 cups salted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs, extra large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Scrape the sides at least twice. Mix well in between scrapings.
- Slowly add the flour mixture on very low speed until a ball forms. Don’t over mix.
- Take the ball of dough and continue to gently kneed with your hands on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the ball into 3 equal parts. Wrap the other 2 thirds in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Put the 1/3 you are working with on top of a piece of parchment paper. Place two 5/16 dowel rods* on either side. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll into the dough into a perfect sheet.
- Refrigerate and repeat with the other 2 balls of dough.
- Refrigerate these dough sheets for at least an hour or up to over night.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º F.
- Use your favorite cookie cutter and place cut outs on a Silpat mat or parchment paper covered baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies are done as soon as you see the slightest tinge of color at the bottom of a cookie.
- Cool for at least 2 minutes on the baking sheet (to prevent tearing or cracking). Then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.
Notes
*Honestly, I didn’t even know where to start looking for a dowel rod. Luckily, my son had 2 brand new never been used arrows that measured exactly 5/16 inch in diameter. Eureka!!!
Why 5/16 inch thickness? I tried a batch that were 1/4 inch and they just didn’t have the same “bite” to them. I love how you can really sink your teeth into these sugar cookies. Using a dowel or arrow or chop stick or marshmallow roasting stick gives you a sheet of dough that is consistent. This helps your cookies to come out evenly baked and gives them that soft center with golden bottoms.