We all have a sugar cookie recipe in our book or binder, but does the recipe really give us the sugar cookie of our dreams? Thick, slightly chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender — we want to have an addictive bite each and every time. You don’t have to scrap your tried and true recipe, but here are some tips that can make it better!
Don’t Use Powdered Sugar
Powdered sugar is super fine, so as it bakes, the powdered sugar doesn’t mingle with the rest of the cookie dough ingredients. Sure, powdered sugar-based sugar cookies have a delicate melty quality, but they aren’t good for baking cutout cookies with your kids. Instead, opt for granulated sugar that has particulates that dissolve and crystalize slightly. When baked, the granulated sugar forms a hearty cookie for handling and decorating. For reference, ½ cup of granulated sugar is ½ cup plus 12 tablespoons of powdered sugar, and 1 cup of granulated sugar is 1 ¾ cup of powdered sugar.
Add In Cornstarch
If you’re using granulated sugar but still want that soft, melt-on-the-tongue quality of more delicate sugar cookies, add a bit (1 tablespoon) of cornstarch into your dry ingredients. Cornstarch prevents the gluten from forming in the flour, and as an added bonus, the cornstarch prevents the dough from spreading.
Swap In Some Cream Cheese
Want a rich-tasting dough? Try substituting some of the butter for cream cheese. The cream cheese adds softness without the dough getting too wet. Don’t go and swap out all of the butter, just change out half of the butter with cream cheese.
Put An Egg In It
Need your sugar cookies to stay put? Though many sugar cookie purists will say sugar cookies don’t have many eggs — adding an extra whole egg won’t ruin the sugar cookie recipe in the slightest bit. In fact, the proteins from the egg white will firm your dough up, and the yolk will add a rich flavor.
Take Some Time To Chill
Feel like your dough is too soft? Chill — literally. Before you pop your sugar cookie creations into the oven, give your shaped cookies some time in the fridge or freezer. A mere ten minutes will do wonders for preserving the shape and preventing the dough from spreading.
Don’t Overbake
Think you need to see golden brown edges? Think again! While you might want some gold color on other types of cookies, for sugar cookies, golden edges are a sign that they are overcooked.