Sugar Cookies
From Better Homes and Gardens. I have gotten lots and lots of compliments on these. It's a classic recipe.
From Better Homes and Gardens. I have gotten lots and lots of compliments on these. It's a classic recipe.
- Carbohydrate 206.898065150235 g
- Cholesterol 239.142477394288 mg
- Fat 98.6473939268807 g
- Fiber 6.81596062546812 g
- Protein 31.9407718494897 g
- Saturated Fat 38.8524228489628 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (637g)
- Sodium 41950.9141280513 mg
- Sugar 200.082104524767 g
- Trans Fat 5.67152536913347 g
- Calories 2159 calories
Step-by-step
- Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, orange peel and vanilla.
- Add egg.
- Beat until light and fluffy.
- Stir in milk.
- Sift together dry ingredients, blend into creamed mixture.
- Divide dough in half and wrap up in waxed paper.
- Chill one hour or until you can bake the cookies.
- On lightly floured surface roll to 1/8 inch thick.
- Cut in desired shapes.
- Bake on greased cooky sheet at 375 degrees about 6-8 minutes.
- Cool slightly, remove from pan and cool on rack.
- Decorate.
Crisp edges give way to a tender, fine-grained crumb, scented subtly with grated orange peel and sweet vanilla. Sugar cookies rely on precise chemistry and careful temperature control to hold their shape in the oven. Creaming fat and sugar together creates microscopic air pockets. These pockets expand when heated, driven by the leavening action of baking powder. Skipping the creaming stage yields a dense, heavy texture. Adding the egg next introduces moisture and binds the structure. Sift the flour and salt separately to distribute the leavening agent evenly throughout the dry ingredients.
Managing Dough Temperature and Storage
Chilling the wrapped dough for at least one hour solidifies the fats. Warm fat melts too quickly in the oven, causing cookies to spread and lose their cut-out shape. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to exactly one eighth of an inch thick. Bake these treats at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for six to eight minutes. Pull them from the oven the moment the edges turn barely golden. Let the baked cookies rest on the hot pan for two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Unfrosted baked cookies freeze well for up to three months in an airtight container separated by layers of parchment paper. Raw dough also accepts freezing for up to one month if tightly wrapped in plastic.
- Spread cookies indicate the oven temperature was too low or the dough was insufficiently chilled before baking.
- Dry, crumbly dough results from over-measuring flour; weigh the flour or use the spoon-and-level method to maintain proper hydration.
- Browning too quickly means the oven runs hot; verify internal temperatures with an independent oven thermometer.
