Anyone have the best sugar cookie recipe ever?

[Fran]

I am looking for a really good sugar cookie recipe. I remember some having cream cheese and some just simple but I haven't made them in a long time and I can't find my recipe.
I know lots of you will have one. I'd appreciate it if you share it with me.

I want to have them made for when the nephews come so they can decorate them.

 

[donna723]

Have you tried the one on the Butter Flavor Crisco package? That one is really good.

 

[timer lady]

Fran - I'll dig mine out & post it shortly.

 

[Fran]

I haven't tried it. I don't think I have ever bought butter flavored crisco. Thanks. I'll give it a try.

 

[Kathy813]

Fran,

I checked my favorite recipe site (allrecipes.com) and found this one. Over 2900 people gave reviews and it was rated very high. Make sure that you look at the photos. You can get some great decorating ideas.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx

~Kathy

 

[timer lady]

Mary's Sugar Cookies
Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

1 1/2 C Powdered sugar, sifted
1 C butter, at room temperature
1 Egg
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Tsp. Almond Extract
2 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking soda
1 Tsp Cream of Tartar
Granulated Sugar

Mix sugar & butter. Add egg, vanilla & almond extract. Mix thoroughly. Stir flour, baking soda & cream of tartar together. Blend in the sugar mixture.

Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet.

Divide dough in half. Roll to 3/16 inch thick on lightly floured pastry cloth. Cut with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until delicately golden.

Yield: 5 dozen.

Note: Fran I use powdered sugar rather than flour on the pastry cloth if the dough is becoming to difficult to work.

You can also roll this into a log & cut & bake them if you feel so inclined or don't have extra time for cookie cutters.
​

 

[Shari]

I have the best one ever, but its very old and you need fresh milk/cream to make it - it just doesn't work without it... I don't have a cow, so I don't get to make them very often. :-( But I digress.

I have a very good one at home. I can post it later.

 

[Marcie Mac]

SO just made some Sugar Cookies and hes making another batch today

1/2 cup butter or Marg. 1 Cup Sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp grated lemon rind, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1 3/4 cup all purose flower, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp each of baking soda and nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt

Cream butter, sugar and eggs till well blended, beat in lemon rind and vanella. Mix together flower, baking powder, baking soda nutmeg and salt. Stir into first mixture.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lightly greased sheet. 375 degrees for 10-12 min or till golden brown

He did the first batch for some gifts, but they were so good they all went in a day

Marcie

 

[Fran]

They all sound really good. I may try all of them a small batch at a time. Marcie, your recipe sounds different so I give it a try.
Betty is a good stand by.
Shari, I'll wait for yours too.
Kathy, the decorations are amazing.
If I make a batch from each of the four recipes I can decide which works best for me.

I have been have poor luck with baking.
I made large nutrolls that look good but taste bland. I can't figure out if I didn't knead the dough enough or if I left something out. I made small mini nutroll cookies. Taste great but look ugly.
Peanut butter chocolate chip didn't wow me either.
Maybe I'll go back to basics with sugar cookies.

 

[DammitJanet]

Honestly...the regular tea cakes that you just drop onto the pan are the best sugar cookie I have ever eaten. They arent overly sweet and with a glass of milk or iced tea...yummy! They arent too dry or too moist...just right. Im supposing you could ice them after taking them out.

 

[hearts and roses]

I have tried many butter sugar cookie recipes in the early years of my baking life. These are the best so far so I stick with them. They stay moist and freeze well. We make a confectionate sugar icing and color it and paint the cookies and just, well, YUM. Easy too! We made two batches this year.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
In a large mixing bowl combine butter and cream cheese. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the flour, sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla extract and almond extract; beat until combined. Stir in remaining 1 cup flour. Divide in half. Cover dough and chill for 1 to 2 hours or until firm.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of chilled dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes. Use a drinking straw to make decorative holes or hanging holes. Transfer cutouts to an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown and cookies are slightly puffed. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, cool thoroughly. Use a sifter to sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving or make a nice icing (I happen to hate royal icing, so I make my own).
Makes 3 dozen.

 

[muttmeister]

I have a wonderful recipe and they're EASY because you drop them instead of rolling them. The only problem is that you can't decorate them with icing because they are so tender they will fall apart. You can, however, decorate them with colored sugar.

Cream 1 cup butter
with 2 cups sugar.
Add 2 eggs
1 cup salad oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together 5 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Drop on baking sheet with teaspoon.
Bake 10 minutes at 350.

 

[Steely]

Wow.........thanks guys. (On behalf of Fran). I need to make my neighbors some treats.......and I was hoping not to have to bake Betty Crockers box cookies - and then I came upon this post. Yay.

 

[DDD]

I'm not a baker (understatement, lol) but each year I bake Christmas cookies with the youngest of the grandchildren. The slice and bake refrigerated cookies are it but cut out with cookie cutters and decorated the kids are always proud.

Question: Do you all put sprinkles/colored sugar on before or after baking? A neighbor gave us a cookie tray gift and her decoration strictly adhered to the cookies. Mine on the other hand don't seem to set right either way. I was wondering if a light eggwhite wash would help the decorations stay in place?

DDD (The only one to be replaced as a GSA troop leader for "teaching" the girls to bake...using slice and bake. )

 

[Ephchap]

I have mother in law's and it really is great. They are a little different than most of the sugar cookies I've had. We don't roll the dough out too thin so they are a little thicker and more chewy than crunchy. Then we use the can of frosting mix (white), but dye half green and half red (well, it ends up more dark pink), to frost them.

1/2 cup crisco shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

... oh, and I was supposed to say that the last ingredient is ...
Invite husband over to sample them. Of course, if he shows up, you'll have to double the recipe (which we usually do because of him, lol).

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Mmmmmm, and I'm not a big cookie eater

 

[SRL]

I played around with some but now use the Betty Crocker recipe. It's important to really fluff up the sugar and butter first and when you do add the flour combine it well but don't beat it to death. Go easy when rolling out the dough--the best cookies will come from the first round of cutting out so cut closely and set aside scraps for a second round. I make fairly thick cookies, take them out of the oven when the bottoms are just starting to turn, and then let them sit a few minutes on the hot pan before removing.

As a matter of fact, I'm just ready to call the kids to cut out!

 

[ScentofCedar]

Late in the day, I know...but I just found this incredible tip on Kathy's allrecipes site. When making cut out cookies, roll the dough out on parchment paper or foil IN THE BAKING PAN. Then, remove the dough from around the cut out cookies. No more messy transfers (or floury counters). No need to oil foil or parchment.

Barbara

 

[Kathy813]

Barbara,

I saw that tip, too. It would also keep you from having to move the cookies and possibly messing up the shape.

Parchment paper is great. I use it all the time but did have one little disaster this year. easy child and I were decorating cookies and I put parchment paper on top of wire racks to catch any icing that dripped. After we finished decorating two racks worth, I went to pick one of the racks to move it and the parchment paper slid off the rack and the cookies went sailing through the air. It was one of those moments that all we could do was watch the cookies fly by and end up on the floor.



~Kathy

 

[Wiped Out]

Jo,
I made the recipe you gave-yummmm!

 

[hearts and roses]

Jo,
I made the recipe you gave-yummmm!

Isn't it? Mine are almost all gone and the company hasn't even arrived yet! I made Mexican Wedding Cakes last night....double yum!