Best Soft Sugar Cookies
User Reviews
5
Best Soft Sugar Cookies
Description
The Best Soft Sugar Cookies recipe starts by thoroughly creaming butter and sugar until fluffy, producing a light dough texture. Eggs and vanilla add moisture and flavor before folding in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt carefully to avoid toughness. Refrigerating the dough firms it up, which helps maintain cookie shape and softness after baking at 350°F for 9 to 12 minutes. Cookies finish with a delicate sparkle of sanding sugar for subtle sweetness and texture contrast.
The result is a cookie with a crisp edge and tender, chewy middle that holds together well without crumbling excessively. This recipe allows for adjustments to salt depending on butter choice and offers a technique for shaping perfectly round cookies by using cutters right after baking. The cookies are versatile for gifting or everyday treats.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container to retain softness and can be frozen as dough balls or baked cookies. Freezing dough before baking helps preserve freshness, and baked cookies reheat well when thawed. These tips make this recipe convenient for advance preparation or large batches.
Using unsalted butter is recommended for precise salt control, but replacing it with salted butter is possible with adjusted salt measurements. Chilling dough is critical for texture control and ease of handling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, use 1/8 teaspoon)
- Sparkling Sugar or sanding sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add egg and egg yolk and vanilla and mix for 1 minute longer.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Don't overmix or it creates too much gluten, which leads to tough cookies.
- Chill the dough. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After the dough has chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Line baking sheets with parchment paper sheets. Roll into balls and place on the light colored baking sheet.
- Place on a light-colored baking sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges but still soft in the center. As soon as you remove from the oven, sprinkle with sparkling or sanding sugar. See below for making round circles. Let cool.
Notes
- Use unsalted butter for better salt control; reduce salt to 1/8 teaspoon if using salted butter.
- Chill dough at least 1 hour before baking to maintain soft texture and shape.
- For perfectly round cookies, press a cookie cutter around warm cookies immediately after baking to shape edges.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft and chewy.
- Cookie dough and baked cookies freeze well; thaw dough balls before baking or reheat baked cookies gently.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 166 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 166kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.001g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 101mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 95mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 21IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 17mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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