5 –in-1 Sugar Cookie

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Everything you need to know to successfully turn a simple sugar cookie recipe into five different cookies including tips on making, shaping and baking.

Yield: 3 dozen
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cups white sugar
• 2 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Cookie #1: Sugar

Cookie #2: Chocolate- add ½ cup chocolate chips to dough before rolling into balls

Cookie #3: Peanut butter pieces- top cookie dough with peanut butter pieces (like Reese’s) before baking

Cookie #4: Almond brickle- decrease white sugar by ½ cup and add ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup crushed almonds

Cookie #5- Walnut raisin- add ½ cup raisins (or dried cranberries) and ½ cup crushed walnuts

Terri's Tips:

  • This recipe can be used for making dough that is rolled out on a board and cut into various shapes with a cookie cutter
  • Another way to prepare for baking is to roll a tablespoon of dough between your hands to create uniformly shaped balls that bake evenly; slightly flatten into a disc if topping with hard candy or chocolate chips
  • Use a baking stone for even cooking
  • Butter should be warmed to room temperature (65 degrees F)
  • Always measure the flour and sugar accurately; too much flour will make your cookie dry and too little will cause it to bake flat
  • The best method for measuring is to weigh out the ingredients but you can also achieve good results by scooping the flour into a measuring cup, scraping away excess by leveling with the back of a knife
  • Chill the dough before rolling and only roll a portion of the dough at a time to prevent dough from sticking
  • Always preheat the oven before baking