Soft Sugar Cookies

I love soft sugar cookies. The kind that they sell at store bakeries everywhere. I have no use for sugar cookies that are crisp, crunchy, or dry. A couple of years ago, I went on a mission to find a recipe that would match the soft, melt in your mouth-ness of the store cookies. And I stumbled onto an amazing recipe which has been my sugar cookie standby ever since.

Makes ~ 3 dozen cookies at ~3" all around

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 400F.

COMBINE butter and sugar until creamy.

ADD eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

BEAT flour mixture into butter and sugar blend, ALTERNATING with sour cream, until well mixed.

DIVIDE dough into thirds, wrap in plastic wrap and CHILL for a minimum of 2 hours. (Overnight is better.)

ROLL OUT dough on a moderately floured surface to between 1/8" and 1/4" thick. Rub dough log with flour before rolling and continue to add enough flour as you roll so that the dough will not stick to the rolling pin. (Work quickly as the dough will get sticker as it warms. Remove only one dough log from the fridge at a time.) Cut dough with your desired cutters, place on baking sheet, leaving at least 1/2" space between the cookies.

BAKE for 6-9 min or until the top surfaces look cakey and have lost their shine.

Frost with a buttercream frosting like this one. Dye with food coloring for maximum fun.

My Thoughts
1. To get that "perfect" look, microwave your frosting for a few seconds and use the tip of a butter knife to dallop frosting in the center of the cookie. Use the side of the knife to spread frosting over the bulk of the cookie. Use the tip to pull frosting into small areas and to create a clean line at the edges. To give it that picture perfect finish, keep a consistent 1/4" from the edge of the cookie.

2. Decorate with colored sugar crystals, chocolate chips, sprinkles, m&ms, or whatever else you have handy. As long as you stay away from vegetables, you should be okay. ; )