Soft Sugar Cookies
These drop-style sugar cookies couldn't be easier. Have fun with different colors of sugar to roll the cookies in before you bake them. Just scoop the dough, roll in sugar, and drop them on a baking sheet. You don't need to refrigerate the dough unless you want them to spread less.
Servings: 42 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened (226 grams; 2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- ½ cup powdered sugar 57 grams
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour 390 grams
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Topping for the cookies
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar or colored sugar sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy and pale in color. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Scrape the bowl down and beat until creamy.
- Sift the flour and baking soda over the batter and stir until well combined.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop (or 2 tablespoons) to scoop balls of dough.
- Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar or fancy colored sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. At this point, you can bake immediately, or refrigerate for 1 hour for less spread.
- Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until the edges just look set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
Measure the flour correctly: Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup, then level it off, or use a scale for accuracy. Too much flour will make the dough (and the cookies) dry. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Watch the bake time: For the softest cookies, pull them before the bottoms get too brown. The edges should have just a hint of light golden color.
No sifter? Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl before adding them to the butter mixture.
Control spread: For less spread, refrigerate the dough for 1 hour before baking. The cookies in the photos were not chilled and baked up about 2½ to 3 inches wide, soft and tender.
Make them smaller: Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop and reduce the bake time by about 1 minute.
Storage: Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 117mg | Sugar: 8g
