This was one of the first recipes I tried as a newly married woman. I remember my husband taking his first bite. His eyes lit up and he nodded his head vigorously when I asked them if they were good. After consuming the better part of a dozen, he decided they were now one of his favorite cookies. He has called them "manna" ever since.
Sugar cookies can be quite disappointing. They spread too thin, creating dark brown edges that are too crisp and taste burned. It's hard to get them off the sheet in one piece and often half the cookie, and your patience, is left behind in the process.
I love this recipe because it creates a delicate cookie that is decidedly soft in the center (as long as you don't overbake). The use of parchment paper geniously keeps the cookies from spreading too thin and from glueing themselves to your cookie sheet. The texture is light and almost cake-like. The cookies are sweet, as sugar cookies should be and go lovely with a tall glass of milk. Maybe not quite "the dew of heaven," but pretty, pretty close!
Sugar Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Total Time: About an hour
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus an extra 1/2 cup for coating cookies (2 cups total)
14 T. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat softened butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar together in the bowl of a standing mixer.
Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla...
...and then the eggs, until just incorporated.
On low, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Scoop 2 T. of dough at a time and roll balls in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar.
It's really handy to have a cookie scoop at this point because it makes your cookies uniform in shape.
Place cookies a few inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Yes, the parchment paper is important!
Using the bottom of a drinking glass, gently flatten each cookie.
This also helps give them a uniform appearance.
Sprinkle a little remaining sugar on top of each cookie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Rotate baking sheet halfway through baking.
Cookies will be done when the centers start to crack and the edges are just slightly browned.
Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.
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