Sugar Crystal Sugar Cookies Recipes

THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Add the 4 sticks (2 cups) of butter and 2 cups of white sugar to your mixer. A word about the butter, we use Sweet Cream Salted Butter when we are baking and I think it tastes great with these sugar cookies too. The butter needs to be softened but still cold. A prime culprit for dry sugar cookie dough is butter that is too warm and soft. I let the butter sit out on the counter for just under an hour before I start making the cookies - this seems to be the perfect amount of time for me. The butter is still cold to the touch but you can press into the stick with your fingers. In the past, when in a rush, I have softened the butter in the microwave but inevitably the dough that I get is on the "crumbly" side.
• Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed (3 minutes on medium-high should do the trick.)
• Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla and 2 eggs. I know that sounds like a lot of vanilla but this recipe needs a little extra moisture and the cookies will taste great.
• Mix the cookie dough until light and fluffy (about 3 more minutes.)
• Add 4 teaspoons of Baking Powder and mix.
• Mix in the 6 cups of flour two cups at a time. Don't over-mix the dough when you are adding the dry ingredients. Mix it only until the flour is incorporated into the dough.
• After you have added the 6 cups of Flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly. If the dough seems to dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk (start with a teaspoon) and mix again.
• Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until it's about 3/8" thick.
• Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
• Bake in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie cutter you used. Do not over-bake! We like thicker sugar cookies so they will hold a good amount of frosting. If you make your cookies on the thick side as we have done in the pictures here, you should cook them 9-10 minutes. They might not look done to you but they are. Take them out of the oven. You don't want them to start browning around the edges the way a Chocolate Chip Cookie would, for example. The cookies should be set and just bet starting to slightly brown around the edges. Over-baking is the prime culprit if you feel your sugar cookies seem dry. If you roll out thinner cookies, or use smaller cookie cutters than the ones we have used here, you should only bake the cookies 6 or 7 minutes.
• Let your cookies cool and then they are ready for frosting. We use our Best Buttercream Frosting recipe with these Best Sugar Cookies. The frosting is easy to color and tastes so delicious and yummy on these Sugar Cookies. You will have all the tips and tricks to make this yummy homemade sugar cookie frosting right here.

GRANNY'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream together margarine, sugar, oil, eggs, powdered sugar.
• Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
• Add sifted, dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Drop by teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet.
• Flatten each cookie with a glass dipped in sugar.
• Bake until slightly browned, about 9 to 11 minutes depending on your oven.
• Let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to cooling rack.

SUGAR CRYSTAL SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt.
• Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until completely combined.
• Knead the dough for 1 minute and then roll into a log shape and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the cookies in 1/4" thick circles. (Discard the uneven ends.)
• Pour the red sugar crystals onto a plate .
• Roll the sugar cookie log in the red sugar crystals, and then use a sharp knife to cut into 1/2" thick cookies and press into the sugar crystals to coat completely.
• Place the cut cookies on the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 8-12 minutes, until just slightly golden.