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Plain Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies


Plain Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 221 (page 230 of 2011 edition).

Simple to make and good but the dough will need to chill at least 3 hours before baking. These can be made large or small and whatever thickness you desire.

3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 
6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
Additional sugar (for topping)
 



Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

Cream the butter.

Add the vanilla.
Add the sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.
Add the tablespoon of milk (forgot to photograph that!)

On low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients.
Divide the dough into 2 portions and wrap in wax or foil. Chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours or longer. Do not freeze or the dough will be too hard to roll.





Baking the Cookies

 Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.

Roll the dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch, depending on whether you want thick or thin cookies.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.


Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with foil.
Sprinkle sugar on the cookies.
Bake for 8-12 or just until the start to turn brown. Transfer to racks to cool.
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Comments

Jen said…
mm, those look good. I love your sifter, it looks like the one my grandma had. Have you tried freezing them in a log and slicing the dough?
December 15, 2012 at 5:09 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
Jen, I have not tried that!
December 22, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Anna said…
Hi Phillip,
Yours look great! I baked a quick batch today but instead of cutting them I just rolled them into balls and pressed them down. They're pretty good.
April 2, 2013 at 4:22 PM
Phillip Oliver said…
Anna, your blog is awesome!
April 3, 2013 at 4:21 PM
MamaC said…
Maida, my first love, she and I have been making cookies together since 1977. These cookies stand apart from others I feel due to the addition of the milk. These are wildly popular when I make them.
December 10, 2021 at 5:46 PM
MamaC said…
I have when I ran out of time. I rolled the log in chocolate sprinkles and they were good as an icebox cookie.
December 10, 2021 at 5:47 PM
Anonymous said…
I wonder if this is the recipe my mom used? She baked almost exclusively Maida. Her butter cookies came out of a cookie press though and were rectangular, with ridges, light, delicate and had a tender crispness only Maida could have created. Anyone happen to know what recipe I’m talking about? I’m desperate to recreate my mom’s cookies. She passed just over a year ago and this is how I feel most connected to her.
December 28, 2024 at 8:08 AM
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