These soft and buttery sugar cookies are the perfect sugar cookie for you every need. When cut they keep their edges and do not spread. They are just the perfect sweetness to be eaten with or without icing.
Ah the sugar cookie. This is one of my favorite cookies to make during the holiday season. Along with the snickerdoodle you cannot go wrong during the holidays. With its light and buttery flavor and ability to hold its shape make this cookie perfect for decoration.
A couple of my buddies and I used to gather during this time of year. I would bring this cookie dough and we would make all kinds of cookies and decorate them with the weirdest toppings. Those memories make me smile to this day when I make these cookies.
In this recipe
The secret weapon (well not so much any more) in this recipe is the egg yolk. This recipe calls for 2 egg yolks and 1 egg. Using egg yolks will get that soft and buttery texture that sugar cookies are known for.
What is cool about egg yolks is how they work to make cookies soft. Fat is what helps food stay soft and helps to prevent food from drying out. With that in mind enter the egg yolk. By having a good balance of protein and fat the yolk will create a gel like matrix within the cookie to give the soft texture that you find in a bakery.
There are many recipes that have the dough does not need to be refrigerated. I however am in the camp that cookie dough should be refrigerated. By doing so you will get a few things that happen.
Firstly, it gives the flour a time to rest and hydrate. This allows the gluten to relax to prevent tough cookies. Secondly, by keeping the fat cool then the cookies will not spread and deform as much, and gives nice edges. Finally, by flavor development increases as the dough as time to rest.
Tips and tricks
Here are some tips and tricks for making and storing the cookie or dough.
- To make sliced cookies roll the cookie dough into a log and refrigerate. Slice to the desired thickness to bake.
- For a sugar edge roll the log in the sugar before slicing.
- The dough can be frozen for up to two months stored in an air-tight container
- For even baking keep the dough thickness as even as possible.
- Store cookies in an air-tight for up to 10 days.
Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Lined sheet pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie/Biscuit cutter
- Cling film
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cup butter unsalted, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp salt kosher
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
- In a bowl combine and mix the salt and flour.
- In a stand mixer, on medium speed, beat butter until smooth only a minute or two. Add the sugars until just combined. Add the egg and egg yolks until they are just mixed in.
- Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture and mix until everything is just incorporated. Pour onto cling film and cover with another piece of cling film. Shape into a disk and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or gas mark 4.
- Remove the disk from the refrigerator and roll out to desired thickness no thicker than ¼" . By using cling film or parchment paper to roll out the dough you can reuse the scraps without changing the texture of the dough. Refrigerate or freeze for a few minutes to let the dough firm up. If the dough was refrigerated overnight allow to sit for about 5 minutes before rolling as it will be quite hard.
- Cut out the cookies in the desired shape and place onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies should remain pale in color or with just a hint of brown on the edges.
- Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remainder of the dough.
