Drop Sugar Cookies

I love the soft, melt in your mouth amazingness of my favorite cut out sugar cookies. However, sometimes I don't really want to wait for dough to chill. Or roll it out. Or cut it out. Or get obsessive over neat icing. I just want quick, easy, and done. Actually, that's most the time, which is why the cut out sugar cookies are generally reserved for special occasions. And why, when I saw a recipe for drop sugar cookies, I simply had to make a batch.

Makes: ~24 cookies

Ingredients
8 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE baking sheets with parchment paper

BEAT butter in medium bowl until smooth
ADD vegetable oil
BEAT until incorporated
MIX in sugars until well blended
ADD eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract
BEAT until consistently mixed
ADD flour, baking soda, and salt
BEAT until just incorporated

COVER with saran wrap
FREEZE for 15 minutes

DROP onto prepared cookie sheet
BAKE 8-10 minutes
LET COOL

Enjoy!

My Thoughts
1. I shared these with some coworkers who described them as "Like a cloud in your mouth!" and decided I needed to bake for all future company events. Bake these cookies to win friends and influence people! ; )

2. The almond extract made these taste like the "almond cookies" I remember getting from the local Chinese restaurant as a kid. You could cut down to 1/4 tsp for a lighter touch or remove it entirely for a more classic sugar cookie taste.

3. The whole freezing the dough thing? BRILLIANT. I may have to try this with my regular sugar cookie recipe. Hello not standing around for two hours waiting for dough to chill, I love you.

4. The recipe for these suggested squishing the dough balls and sprinkling with sugar. I opted not to, but it would give them a light crunch to the top. Or you could always frost them. Options!