A Family of Hearts, decorated by the kids

I’ve noticed a new trend in sugar cookies: delicate, intricately shaped cookies which are decorated to an artistic feat. These cookies are beautiful, especially on party tables, but I have to admit that more often than not, I just want to make a cookie just like Grandma’s brand–those big pink ones sold in dorm vending machines (sadly, Grandma’s just don’t taste that great now that I’ve weaned myself from most processed foods–these cookies are exceptionally better). Caryn’s cookies are soft, fluffy, easy to make, and pretty much a great, great cookie. The dough pairs best with simple cookie cutters  (like circles or hearts) because they puff during baking, but anything will work. I also like that the dough doesn’t require refrigeration. It also doubles, if you need to make a lot.

Aunt Caryn’s Soft and Fluffy Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 c. sugar
1 c. butter, softened (2 sticks)
3 eggs
3 t. baking powder
3 1/2 c. flour
2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes with a mixer. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated. Then add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out dough to as much as 1/4″ thick (or thicker, if you like), adding flour if necessary to keep from sticking. Cut out and place on lightly greased cookie sheets, with like sizes on similar sheets (so you don’t overbake small cookies while underbaking large ones). Bake for 10 minutes, rotating midway through to keep the browning even. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1-8 oz. bar cream cheese
5 T. butter, softened
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
pinch of salt

With a mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese until soft and fully integrated, about 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 c. of sugar and vanilla and salt, and mix until combine. Add remaining cup of sugar slowly until the frosting thickens and reaches the sweetness you prefer. Tint with food coloring, if desired. Note: you can also add 1 t. grated lemon or orange peel or 1 t. cinnamon for a little flavor variety.

This recipe came out in April 2009’s Everyday Food, though I’ve altered the filling slightly. In the past, I’ve had “homemade oreos,” which are usually made from a cake mix and actually have very little resemblance to the store cookie, despite the name. This recipe, on the other hand, I would actually say create a cookie with a comparable texture to the store bought one, and a superior flavor. They take a little more time than drop cookies, but they are a huge hit, and are actually really fun to make. My kids like to use small cookie cutters (like pie decorating ones) in order to make small sandwich cookies, which are also delightful.

Oreos from Scratch

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. Dutch-process cocoa powder*
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
5 T. unsalted butter, melted
2/3 c. packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
Cream Filling (recipe below)

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, and set aside. In another bowl, combine the butter, sugar and egg. Add dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms. Divide the dough into two, and roll in between two sheets of parchment paper until 1/4″ thick (this step is crucial. I’ve tried not using parchment paper before, and it makes a big mess, and is hard to deal with. Using the paper is cleaner and makes the cookies turn out much nicer. Definitely worth the expense. And, sadly, wax paper is not the same thing. I’ve tried to substitute it many times, and I always regret it). Stack the two rolled-out-doughs on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment (I tear off one side from the refrigerated dough and place it on the sheet–reduce, reuse, recycle!). Remove one sheet of dough from the fridge and cut out with a 2″ round cookie cutter. (Use smaller cutters to get in between the rounds, or reroll dough. It will hold up to one more rolling between parchment paper before it needs rechilling.) Place rounds on sheets 1″ apart (they don’t grow) and repeat with other sheet of dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. The cookies will be firm and fragrant.

Remove cookies immediately to a rack and let cool. While cooling, make the filling:

With a mixer, combine:
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
pinch salt
2 t. vanilla extract {or a couple of drops mint oil (candy-making oils) or 2 t. mint extract, for Mint Oreos–my favorite}

The dough will be stiff. When cookies have cooled, pair them up, bottoms together, spreading the filling on one side and sandwiching. The filling is stiff, and hard for my kids to work with, so it’s almost easier to let them use fingers for this, if you’re comfortable with that sort of thing. . . .

Enjoy!

*Dutch-process cocoa powder is not the same as Hershey’s cocoa powder, and because they are alkalized differently, will not yield the same results. Dutch-process can be found at specialty stores and online–if you see it at a regular grocery store, let us know!

This is a particularly memorable sugar cookie, despite the zillions of recipes there are for sugar cookies. I actually prefer it with a little

Love these!

cornmeal (it reminds me of a cookie I’ve had from a nearby bakery), but that’s definitely optional, according to your taste, and if you’ll like the extra crunch. For that matter, the lime is optional as well, but it’s also what makes the cookie distinctive. Note: this is not a cookie cutter recipe!

Sugar Cookies with Lime Zest

2 c. all-purpose flour (or 1 3/4 c. flour with 1/4 c. cornmeal)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 sticks (1 c.) butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar, plus 1/4 c. for rolling cookies
1 large egg
2 t. lime zest
2 t. vanilla

Heat oven to 375, with racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking powder, salt), and set aside. In another bowl (by hand or mixer), cream butter and 1 c.. sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes by mixer). Scrape the bowl down and add the egg, 1 t. lime zest, and vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds, until combined, and then add the dry ingredients, and beat until just combined, another 30 seconds.

Place remaining 1/4 c. sugar in a food processor, add the other 1 t. lime zest, and pulse until the sugar becomes green, about 10 seconds. (Alternatively, place the sugar and lime zest in a baggie and crush together with a rolling pin or a potato masher) Place sugar mixture in a  shallow bowl. Roll 1 1/2 T. of  dough in the sugar mixture and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spaced 2″ apart. After all the cookies are rolled, butter the bottom of a drinking glass (with a flat underside), dip it into the sugar, and smash the cookies down until they are about 1/2 inch thick, redipping the glass every 2-3 cookies.

Bake, reversing the cookie sheets front to back and top to bottom midway through, for 10-11 minutes, or until pale golden. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2-3 minutes, and then move to wire racks.