Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

I have searched and searched for THE sugar cookie recipe. Some are too wet to handle. Others too bland. Still more are good but I want a keeper. One that will be passed down. For Halloween the kids wanted to make Halloween shaped sugar cookies. So determined with a purpose I set out to uncover a decent sugar cookie recipe. It is so hard to know if a recipe is worth the trouble. Especially if there are not any comments from tried and true viewers and then there is always the difference of taste and opinion.

I decided on this recipe because of the caption, “after trying dozens of sugar cookies that are too bland…” I figured she was in the same boat of I was. We do not like frosting or icing on our sugar cookies so the basic cookie has to be soft with a hint of crispness and just the right amount of sweetness. The dough came together nicely. It was firm enough to roll out right away but I went ahead and chilled it as the directions stated.

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in butter and blend with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in lightly beaten egg, vanilla and cream. Blend well. Chill dough for one hour for easier rolling.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar (optional). Bake for 6 – 8 minutes, or until the bottoms turn lightly brown. Do not over bake.

Icing:
2 teaspoons milk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
assorted food coloring colors

In a small bowl, stir together the milk and confectioners sugar until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and the vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If the icing is too thick, add additional corn syrup to thin slightly. Divide the icing into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to the preferred color intensity. Paint the icing onto the cookies or pipe with decorator icing tubes and tips. Top with candy decorator balls, holiday sprinkles or any other festive design.

Joe’s Sugar Cookies:
This is a family recipe from my sister-n-law. I have tried this version before. I found a similar recipe when I was experimenting with making Loft Cookies. The puffy colorful ones from the grocery store. It was not an exact match but still good. This particular recipe produces a nice soft puffier cookie than the traditional sugar cookie. The dough was rather sticky for me so rather than rolling them out I used the scoop and drop method.

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg. Mix well. Add flour and soda. Divide dough in two parts. Wrap each in wax paper and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Roll out on floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut to shape, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375°F until lightly brown.