Frosted Sugar Cookies
These beautiful sugar cookies are soft, thick, and chewy. They are rich and buttery, decorated with the most delicious frosting, and there is no chilling required.
I’ve been pretty good for the month of January, eating mostly healthy or healthier foods. But now that January is over, it’s time for COOKIES!!! And what’s more fun than a thick sugar cookie topped with a soft-creamy frosting? I can’t think of anything. Also, with Valentine’s around the corner, I decided to dress my cookies with pink roses.
This recipe starts with creaming together some butter and sugar. Once the butter-sugar mixture is light and fluffy, you add in one whole egg, and one egg yolk for chewiness. Then you mix in some sour cream, which not only helps make these cookies soft, but also adds a little tang to balance the richness. There is vanilla extract and a bit of almond extract added to the wet ingredients as well. To me, almond extract is the key to a good sugar cookie. Without it, all you taste is the butter and sweetness. With it, it balances the overall flavor profile of the cookie, tones down the sweetness, and adds a very subtle marzipan-like taste.
These sugar cookies stay soft and chewy for days. The frosted cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to three days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.
To freeze the frosted cookies, place them on a tray or cookie sheet in a single layer, and place in the freezer. Once frozen solid, you can stack them with a sheet of wax paper in between in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place them in a single layer in a plastic container on the counter overnight or until they reach room temperature.
These frosted sugar cookies are soft and chewy with a rich-buttery taste. The cookie itself is not overly sweet which makes it perfect with the buttercream frosting. The frosting is smooth and creamy with a lovely vanilla taste.
PrintFrosted Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 8 min
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 24-28 cookies
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These beautiful sugar cookies are soft, thick, and chewy. They are rich and buttery, decorated with the most delicious frosting, and there is no chilling required.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large whole egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Frosting
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (250g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1–3 tablespoon milk or cream
- food coloring, optional (I used pink gel food coloring)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and egg yolk one at a time. Then mix in the sour cream and extracts until combined.
- Slowly stir in the dry ingredients until it all comes together. The dough will be stiff.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out the dough and roll in your hands until rounded. Place the cookie dough two inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Dip the bottom of a dry measuring cup in flour and use it to flatten the cookie dough to about 1/4″ thick. Re-flour the measuring cup as needed to prevent sticking.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the cookies look slightly puffed, dry on the top, pale around the edges, and (when lifted with a thin spatula) barely golden on the bottoms. Let cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: Beat the butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar followed by 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix in the last cup of powdered sugar. Add in another 1-2 tablespoons of milk if needed to reach a spreadable consistency. Mix in the food coloring if using. Pipe rosettes using a 1M star tip or spread onto cooled cookies.
Notes
Leftover frosted cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to three days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.
To freeze the frosted sugar cookies, place them on a tray or cookie sheet in a single layer, and place in the freezer. Once frozen solid, you can stack them with a sheet of wax paper in between in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place them in a single layer in a plastic container on the counter overnight or until they reach room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 14.2 g
- Sodium: 90.2 mg
- Fat: 10.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40.3 mg
Recipe adapted from Sugar Spun Run.
How do you pipe the rose? Will you add a video to this recipe to show us? Thanks!
Here’s tutorial with videos from Wilton https://blog.wilton.com/how-to-pipe-a-rosette/
What piping tip did you use?
Great question! I used a star 1M piping. I’ll add that to the recipe instructions. Thanks!
Ola ,não endenti o que é açúcar em pó? .
Aqui no Brasil temos o açúcar de confeiteiro ou o açúcar impalpavel,qual que você usa na receita das rosas.
Grata
Andrea
Hi Andrea, powdered sugar is the same as confectionary sugar, so that’s what you would use for the buttercream roses. Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy!
Rating on the simplicity of the recipe as I have not made them yet. But have a question, if you wanted cookie cutter shapes could you perhaps smash as you say but then use the cutter to shape it?!? Do you have ideas on doing this? Love the idea of not having to roll our the dough. Can’t wait to try this! TIA
Hi Peggi, I’ve never tried it that way, so I’m not 100% sure. I know these cookies don’t spread too much, but not sure how well it would hold its shape for a cutout cookie. I would just follow the recipe as is to be safe.
I’m super excited to try these cookies, Lily! I have it all printed, and I’m even going to make the frosting that pretty pink! They just look sooooo delicious! I will report back on Monday with the number of pounds I’ve gained from eating the whole batch!! xoxo Love, Prudy
Lol, thanks Prudy! You’re the best.xoxo
I made this yesterday for a baby shower and they are fantastic! Best tasting sugar cookies ever and the frosting just takes it over the top and makes it really special. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
You’re very welcome LeeAnn, and thank you for your kind words! I’m glad everyone enjoyed them at the baby shower:)