Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies have got to be the most versatile cookie there is!  You can use them for any special occasion, any holiday, iced, or plain and in any shape or size you can imagine!  I make these every year for Christmas, and I have used this recipe since I was around 15 years old.  My mom got the cook book Cookies: A Cookie Lover’s Collection for me and it’s inscribed “Christmas ’95 To the Best Cookie Maker any family could ever have.  Keep on baking! Love and Hugs Mom, Dad and Steven”.

This is a no-fail, tried and true, across the ages friendly cookie recipe.  You can colour the dough to fit your event if you want a plain cookie, or you can ice it with a royal icing or buttercream to fancify (my word for fancy. Duh.)  They make great wedding favours, party treats or additions to Christmas cookie platters. 

My favourite thing about this recipe is the almond extract in addition to the vanilla extract.  It gives the unique taste that I always associate sugar cookies with, and I sure know when it’s missing from other recipes!  When I used to make these cookies many years ago when my brother and I still lived with our parents, I would spend hours rolling, cutting and icing them, only to wake up the next day to 2/3’s of them gone, gobbled up by my teenage brother!  I used to be so mad at him for eating all of them!  Now, he’s coming back home for the holidays and I can’t wait for him to eat them all in one sitting, sharing them with my sister in law, my niece and nephew…how times change.

Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup (180 grams) butter

• 1 cup (200 grams) sugar

• 1 large (52 milliliters/1.75 ounces) egg

• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) whipping cream (heavy cream)

• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) almond extract

• 3 cups (360 grams) all purpose flour

• 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder

• ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt

Procedure:

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg, extracts and cream.  Mix until incorporated.  Set mixer speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture.  Continue to mix until everything is combined.  Divide dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours or overnight.  

When dough is chilled, preheat oven to 400F/200C.  Line baking tray with parchment paper.  To roll dough out, lightly flour countertop and rolling pin and roll dough until it is approximately ¼” in thickness.  Cut out desired shapes and place on baking tray.  Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Have a happy holiday season!

xo Jenn