The Bendy Blog

Easy-Peasy Sugar Cookies (Base Recipe)


By Jessica McNeil


Bendy Blog category: Uncategorized

These cookies make a great base for decorating. If you go with the chilled dough method, you can use cookie cutters to cut them into fun shapes, but unlike a lot of recipes, this dough can be baked immediately, without chilling first.

Freshly Baked Spring Flower Gourmet Cookies

Easy-Peasy Sugar Cookies

Optional: Add 1/2 tsp additional extract for flavor, like mint, almond, coconut, or lemon.

Optional: Use a few drops of food coloring to make brightly-colored cookies (separate into four parts with two drops color each and make rainbow cookies!)

Optional: use only vanilla extract in the dough and roll the cookie balls in a mixture of 2T sugar and 1tsp cinnamon before baking to make snicker-doodles.

 

Basic Sugar Cookie Glaze

  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 3 T milk, almond milk, water, or juice
  • 1 tsp extract of choice
  • food coloring – optional

*If you are using gluten-free flour without any binding agents, you will need 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum or 1 tsp guar gum.

Instructions – Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. 
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and flavor extracts once the butter and sugar mix is smooth and fluffy.
  4. Blend in the dry ingredients a little at a time (in three parts).
  5. If you want to cut the cookies perfectly round, you can roll the dough into a cylinder shape, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for an hour before slicing with a sharp knife. You can alternately use the dough right away if you don’t mind imperfect edges. Use a teaspoon and to make rounded scoops of dough, then roll them into balls and place them 2″ apart directly onto no-stick cookie sheets or silicon liners.
  6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
  7. Leave on the cookie sheet two minutes before removing with a spatula to wire racks or a big plate where the cookies can stay flat until completely cool.

Instructions: Glaze

Mix everything together with a fork until all lumps are gone and mix is shiny. Glaze cookies only after they’re completely cool.