Sugar Cookies

There are essentially two main types of sugar cookies: Rolled or scooped. I personally do not like recipes that involve rolling out a sugar cookie. There are all these requirements of having to chill the dough, flouring a surface, having it be a certain thickness, having cookie cutters, etc. The list goes on and on. Not to mention that you have a huge mess to clean up afterwards. Who really has the time to do all the complicated steps of a rolled sugar cookie? That is exactly why I love the scooped sugar cookie. It's quick and easy (less messy too). Just like a chocolate chip cookie, I desire that chew, height and, especially for a sugar cookie, a great vanilla flavor. Over the years I have always stuck to one of my personal recipes for sugar cookies but recently I found a new recipe for sugar cookies at a different blog named Delish. Curious about how they would come out, I decided to make them and compare them to my recipe. *Keep in mind that this is a TEST recipe.

Soft Sugar Cookies
2 cups granulated sugar*
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
14 Tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the sugar* in a shallow dish for coating and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

Beat the butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl & beaters as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure dough is combined.

Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using wet palms, roll 2 Tablespoons of dough at a time into balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies with the buttered bottom of a drinking glass, then sprinkle and remaining sugar over flattened tops.

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Allow cookies to cook on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

* If you have vanilla sugar, substitute 1/2 cup for vanilla sugar for rolling cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

This sugar cookie is one that I will not stick to. While making these cookies I actually made a mistake. Since I usually know the steps in making cookies I immediately added ALL the sugar to the butter and creamed them together. It was not until after I creamed them together that I saw you had to RESERVE 1/2 a cup of the sugar. BIG MISTAKE!! Well, to make up for it, I did add a bit more butter and flour. The outcome was something not that great. It wasn't as chewy as my recipe. There was a chew around the edges but the center was very "cake-like" but it still had a nice flavor. I'm sorry but when I want a cookie, I don't want it to have a texture of cake. I expected something totally different. Feel free to try out this recipe and tell me your thoughts on it. As for me, I'm sticking to my original recipe.


-Aaron John
My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure
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