Easy sugar cookies.

I feel like the sugar cookie is something that, for the most part, everyone loves.  Some people have different aversions when it comes to things like oatmeal raisin (raisins?  ew!) or chocolate chip (some like thick and fluffy, others like thin and "greasy"), but no one can really complain when it comes to good 'ole plain sugar cookies.

I like my sugar cookies thick, fluffy, chewy and soft. I played around with the proportions and ingredients  and settled on the recipe below.

I love mine with some almond flavoring, but you could definitely flavor these to your liking.  I love the twist that almond extract gives these cookies, but using another extract won't affect the texture of the cookie.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but these are the best sugar cookies I've ever had.  No lie.  I made them pretty small, but I'm sure you could make them larger if you were willing to adjust the baking time.

Enjoy!

Ingredients
Sugar Cookies, makes around 2 dozen
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 cup powered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour*
1 teaspoon salt



Cream together the butter and sugar. Now mix in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Stir in the flour and salt until dough forms. Form a ball from the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (or over night).

Lightly flour your counter top and roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thinkness. Use cookie cutters to cut out your shapes. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and move to a cooling rack.

*To make chocolate sugar cookies simply replace 1/4 cup of the flour with 1/4 cup cocoa instead.


You can also decorate the cookies once you remove them with jam or  M&M's for your little ones :-)

XoXo,
Shaya.