Sugar cookies are like a blank slate of possibilities. I imagine they are also a good choice for something fun to do with your kids. I found this recipe on America’s Test Kitchen and make this all year round, omitting the snowflake on top, of course. Buttery, chewy and crackly on top, this is a simple cookie that goes great with your choice of beverage – milk, coffee, tea, etc.
You can even make the batter with just a whisk and a spoon, no mixer needed. America’s Test Kitchen came up with this foolproof recipe, which balances the structure of the cookie just so, to create a perfect cookie.
For the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a standing mixer, place the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar.
Pour in the warm butter.
Mix until combined. (As I mentioned above, you don’t need to use a mixer for this recipe. You can do this step in a bowl and whisk all the ingredients together.)
Add the oil and mix until completely incorporated.
Add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients and mix in with a rubber spatula.
Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces, about 1 1/2 Tablespoons and roll into balls. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in another bowl or a pie plate. Roll each cookie in the sugar.
Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Use a glass to flatten the cookies to approximately 2 inches in diameter.
Bake for 11-13 minutes.
For the glaze:
Whisk the cream cheese and milk until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and whisk until smooth again.
To decorate the cookies:
Pour the glaze into a small ziptop bag, cut a small hole in one of the corners. Decorate the cookies into whichever design you like. You can also add food coloring to the glaze to have different colors.
- 2¼ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar, plus ½ cup for rolling
- 2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted and still warm
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer, place the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar. Pour in the warm butter. Mix until combined.
- Add the oil and mix until completely incorporated.
- Add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. YOU CAN DO ALL THIS WITH A WHISK IN A LARGE BOWL, NO MIXER NEEDED.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix in with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces, about 1½ Tablespoons each and roll into balls.
- Place the remaining ½ cup of sugar in another bowl or a pie plate.
- Roll each cookie in the sugar.
- Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten the cookies to approximately 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 11-13 minutes.
- Whisk the cream cheese and milk until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth again.
- Pour the glaze into a small ziptop bag, cut a small hole in one of the corners.
- Decorate the cookies into whichever design you like. You can also add food coloring to the glaze to have different colors.
These cookies were amazing! So soft and chewy, thank you for letting me try these yesterday
These cookies look so yummy! I will definitely try these and my 4yr old daughter will have so much fun decorating them! Thanks Olga!
Does your icing become stiff when it sets?! Or is it wet on top?
It becomes stiff when it dries, Oksana.
i love this recipe i did it and everybody loved it can you post a cupcake recipe my little nephew is always asking me to make cupcakes and i don’t know which one to do help
I’m glad you liked the cookies, Katya.
i have several cupcake recipes on the blog. Look under the Sweets menu.
i dont have powdered sugar right now can i use granulated sugar?
In this recipe, you can’t substitute granulated sugar for powdered sugar. The glaze will simply not turn out right at all. If you have a food processor, you can process the granulated sugar in it until it becomes powdered sugar.
Olga, I made these cookies today and they turned out really good. I loved the glaze it’s amazing and the sugar on the top is so sparkly makes it look like real snow. I love your recipes so simple and easy to make.