Gourmet Sugar Cookies

Thick, buttery, soft, and sparkly, these gourmet sugar cookies are absolutely perfect. No chilling or rolling required, and they stay soft and tender for days!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course cookie, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Total Time 27

Servings large cookies

Calories 280kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature preferred
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups (455 g) cake flour (all-purpose will not yield the same result and you would need to substitute properly)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
Coarse sugar for rolling (see note)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), combine butter and sugar and beat until light and creamy (about 2-3 minutes).
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well incorporated, be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
In a separate medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4 cups cake flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
Gradually (about a cup at a time) stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure ingredients are all well-incorporated. Dough will be a bit sticky.
Scoop dough into 3 Tablespoon (60g) sized scoops and roll between your palms to a smooth ball. Roll through coarse sugar until entirely coated, then transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” (5cm) apart.
Coarse sugar
Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) oven and bake for 11-13 minutes. Cookies should be quite pale and there should not be significant golden-browning on the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet. Note: I like to bake a test batch and allow the cookies to cool a bit, then flip them over to gauge if I got the timing just right. When you flip the cookie, the bottom should be pale still with only the lightest bit of coloring and they should not be deep golden brown, if it’s golden brown your cookies will be more dry and crumbly than they should be, so check the next batch sooner!

Video

Notes

Sugar

A coarser sugar (like an organic cane sugar) is best in my opinion, but if you don’t have it then regular granulated sugar will work just fine (the sugar coating will just be thinner and less obvious). You may also substitute turbinado sugar (for a richer, more molasses-y flavor and darker color) or you can substitute a colored sanding sugar for fun color.

Colorful alternatives

You can stir jimmies/sprinkles into the dough (I do ⅓ cup) for fun color throughout or skip the sugar coating, lightly flatten the cookies immediately after baking, and top with a smear of buttercream frosting.

Storing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Nutrition