I'm a little bit of a sugar cookie snob. Forgive me, but it's true. You see, when you grow up eating the best sugar cookies ever, it's hard to wholeheartedly accept another kind. So instead of making other sugar cookie recipes, I just opt to make other kinds of cookies. Check it out, I have twenty-four cookies posted on this blog! Yet I was intrigued by this recipe for sour cream sugar cookies. I often find myself with half-full containers of sour cream and struggle to find recipes to finish it off. This time, I sucked it up and decided to brave a new sugar cookie.
....and I was pleasantly surprised! No, these aren't my mom's sugar cookies. But these are excellent in their own right. They're soft and chewy, almost "bready" was how Ryan described them. I would even liken them to the flavor of sugar cookie you'll find at the mall.
I sliced my first batch a little thicker than the second and they were pretty gooey after baking. I actually preferred these, but they'll stay together better if you slice thinly. Just don't overbake--you want these babies soft! (Note--I froze one roll for a few weeks and then baked and I didn't think they were as good...I think it was a combination of not putting the wrapped dough in a freezer bag--oops--and cooking them a few minutes too long)
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
adapted from Cookie Madness
Ingredients:
-12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (I used 6 tbsp butter, 6 tbsp margarine)
-2 cups granulated sugar
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp almond extract
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup room temperature sour cream (I used light)
-3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts. Add egg and salt and beat until just mixed. Stir in the sour cream.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to the sour cream batter and mix until just combined.
3. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes for easier handling. Divide dough into thirds and shape each third of the dough into a log (may need to flour the dough). Wrap individual logs up in wax paper, twisting the ends of wax paper to seal dough. Freeze at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove dough logs from wax paper. Slice into 1/4-inch pieces and place on cookie sheets. If desired, sprinkle with jimmies or sugar crystals. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.
