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Soft and delicious, my grandma's sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas! Growing up, I made these cookies using our old family recipe card, and the recipe is still one of my favorites today.
When he was growing up, these cookies were my dad's favorite breakfast.
My grandmother—his mom—would whip up a big batch of these sugar cookies, roll them into a log, and store it in the freezer. Some mornings, she would cut off a few cookies, throw them in the oven, and that would be breakfast for the day. With four boys in the house, can you really blame her?
As I was growing up and started to gain an interest in baking, my dad shared this recipe with me.
I remember baking these cookies in our kitchen before Christmas each year, peering at my grandmother's handwritten recipe on a tiny index card. After all the cookies had been eaten, my dad would immediately beg me to make more, and it was usually hard to say no.
One of my favorite parts about recipes is how they can transcend generations. I will always feel a connection to my dad (and my grandmother) when I make these cookies, and I hope to one day share them with my children as well.
I hope you find as much joy from my grandma's sugar cookies as my family has throughout the years!
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Tips for Making These Cookies
Here are a few tips to get perfect cookies every time:
- Make sure to use softened butter—not melted. When mixing together the butter and sugar, make sure your butter is just a little bit soft. If the butter has melted, the dough will be too soft, and you will have to refrigerate the dough for a longer period of time. I like to warm my butter up in the microwave in 15-second increments until it is ready.
- Make sure to refrigerate the dough before rolling it out. This lets the dough firm up, which makes it easier to roll out later. You can even refrigerate the dough overnight if you want to make the cookies in stages.
- Flour your surface well so that the dough doesn’t stick. Honestly, is there anything worse than cookies that won’t come off the counter? I will usually re-roll the dough once or twice, and I recommend flouring the surface well in between each roll as well.
How to Make Royal Icing
I personally love to decorate these cookies with royal icing. It's easy to make, and it hardens quickly, so you can decorate the cookies to your heart's desire!
If you've never made royal icing before, here's all you need to do:
- Whisk together the egg whites and vanilla until white and foamy.
- Gradually add in powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Add in water one tablespoon at a time until you can make a figure-eight with the icing that disappears in eight seconds.
If your icing is too thick, you can add in more water a tablespoon at a time. If it's too thin and runny, you can gradually add in more powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
Common Questions About These Cookies
Absolutely! I personally love to make these cookies in a few stages so that I'm not too overwhelmed all in one day. Tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, this dough can be refrigerated for up to 2-3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough for up to 2 months—just let it thaw to room temperature before rolling it out.
Yes, you can double (and even triple) this recipe with ease. If you do so, I would recommend separating the cookie dough into a few circular disks before refrigerating it. You will also want to roll the dough out in stages so that it's manageable.
First off, make sure to use softened butter, not melted! If the butter has melted, the dough will be too soft and you will have to refrigerate it for a longer period of time. Then, don't skip the refrigeration time for the dough. This lets the dough firm up, which makes it easier to roll out later. Finally, make sure to flour your surface well so that the dough doesn't stick.
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Grandma's Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 24 3-inch cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft and delicious, my grandma's sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas! Growing up, I made these cookies using our old family recipe card, and the recipe is still one of my favorites today.
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (100g), well beaten
- 1 teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15g) milk
- 2 ½ cups (355g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (6g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (5g) salt
Royal Icing:
- 2 pasteurized egg whites (60–70g)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) water
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Make the cookie dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a rubber spatula), cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and milk and mix well to combine, scraping the bowl well after each addition. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the main mixture and mix until just combined, scraping as needed.
- Pat the cookie dough into a circular disk and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.
- Time to cut out the cookies! Lightly flour your work station and roll the cookie dough disk out to about a ¼-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies using your desired cookie cutters, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the royal icing: In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), whisk together the pasteurized egg whites and vanilla extract until white and foamy. Then, gradually add in the powdered sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Finally, add in water one tablespoon at a time until you can make a figure eight with the icing that disappears in eight seconds.
- Transfer the royal icing to a piping bag if desired, then decorate the cookies. Make sure to let the icing dry completely before serving, then store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
- The number of cookies that this recipe yields depends on the size of the cookie cutter you use.
- If you'd like to prepare the dough ahead of time, you can refrigerate it for 2-3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the baked cookies and let them thaw to room temperature before serving.
- Stored in an airtight container, these cookies will usually last for about a week at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 181
- Sugar: 23.1 g
- Sodium: 87 mg
- Fat: 4.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.6 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
- Cholesterol: 25.7 mg
Keywords: sugar cookies, christmas cookies, cookies, grandma's recipe
Grandma Hargett would be very honored (and proud).
I hope so!