Mom’s Sugar Cookies

Cookies for Santa

To me, the taste of Christmas is the taste of my mom’s sugar cookies.  Every year for the holiday, my mom would make a big batch of sugar cookies to decorate and eat.  Myself and my siblings would get a sheet of wax paper filled with cookies  for us to decorate with jars of icing and all the Christmas colored sprinkles.  Those cookies would be set out for guests and, of course, the best ones were left for Santa Claus, with a glass of milk and a few carrots for the reindeer.

Now as an adult, the smell and taste of these sugar cookies is synonymous with Christmas.  I take a bite of  the dough and I’m brought straight back to my mom dividing the leftover dough between my sister and to eat while the cookies were in the oven. I set up my kitchen table just like my mom did, with wax paper sheets filled with cookies and armed with bags of frosting and sprinkles. And boxes of cookies are shared with friends and family throughout the holiday season. It’s truly not Christmas without these cookies.

Recipe Details

This recipe has been a classic with my family for generations for a reason. They’re as easy to make as they are tasty. Unlike other cookie doughs, there’s very little concern with overworking this one.  You can roll it out and re-roll it as many times as you need without getting tough cookies!

In my mom’s cookbook, the recipe is “add the ingredients in the order shown and bake for 10-12 minutes!  I’ve detailed it out a bit more, but really, as long as you have everything measured, you practically have these cookies made!   Starting with the butter and sugar, you’ll need to incorporate them together well before adding the eggs, followed by the dry ingredients.  Another difference with this recipe is the milk and vanilla go in last, almost as the final binding agent.  Before that, the dough can look a bit crumbly, but using your hands to incorporate the milk and vanilla will leave you with dough that’s ready to be rolled!  Just chill it for half an hour to get  the butter a bit more solid, and you’ll be ready to go!

The simple vanilla flavor of these cookies is what really sings, so lately I like to pair a simple vanilla icing to go with it!   Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a bit of  water is all you need to make a delicious frosting that easily pipes or drizzles on to the cookies with ease!

I hope you have the merriest of Christmases with all the cookies and family traditions you look forward to! Happy Holidays!

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Christmas

Mom’s Sugar Cookies

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: Baked Cuisine: American Courses: Cookies

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 12 mins Rest Time 30 mins Total Time 57 mins

Cooking Temp: 350  °F Servings: 48

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Dietary:

N Nut Free V Vegetarian

Description

A classic sugar cookie recipe passed down for generations. They’re not too sweet, soft but firm, and a crowd favorite!

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 ³⁄₄ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Simple Cookie Frosting

• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand-mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl by hand, mix the butter and sugar until combined and creamy.

2. Add the eggs and mix until evenly combined

3. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar until fully incorporate and no clumps of flour is visible. 

4. Stir in the milk and vanilla, using your hands to bring the dough together in the end.  Wrap the dough into two large disks, wrap in clingfilm, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat your oven to 350° F and line two baking trays with  parchment paper.

6. Sprinkle flour over a work surface and place one disk of dough in the center.  Dust flour over a rolling pin and roll the cookie dough to about ¼-½ inch thick.  Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the dough and place on the baking tray.  Re-roll the dough and repeat the same process until all of the dough is used

7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until just golden around the bottom.  Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. While the cookies cool, make the frosting.  In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl  with a handheld mixer, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of water.  Whisk until combined, adding more water ½ tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

9. Once the cookies are cooled, pipe or drizzle the frosting over top, decorating however you please!