This is a guest post by Lindsey Johnson, who is not only my food photographer extraordinaire (for both my second and third cookbooks), but also the writer behind Cafe Johnsonia!
Sugar cookies remain a crowd-pleaser. I feel like their popularity has even risen over the last decade or so thanks to the ubiquitous thick and soft frosted sugar cookies found at every grocery and convenience store. You know the ones—round with pink or another pastel-colored frosting and sprinkles? In true 100 Days of Real Food fashion, I’ve taken one of my family’s favorite recipes and given it an upgrade. Yes, these sugar cookies contain refined sugar, but allowances can be made for special occasions, right?
My family’s recipe is a little different than traditional sugar cookies. They are a little lighter, less doughy and soft, with crisp edges, and a chewy middle. If baked a little longer, they become irresistibly crisp like shortbread.
How to Make Sugar Cookies a Bit Healthier
The first swap is to use white whole-wheat flour instead of white flour. Alternatively, whole-wheat pastry flour could be used. These sugar cookies have more fiber and a lovely golden color.
The second swap is to use organic evaporated cane juice in place of refined granulated sugar. Evaporated cane juice is less processed, and usually fair trade, which is important to me. I also cut the amount of sugar in half—the frosting adds plenty of extra sweetness.
Third, use pure extracts, flavorings, or essence. Artificial extracts and colors contain unwanted chemicals and don’t taste nearly as good as the real thing. My recipe calls for pure vanilla and almond extracts. I sometimes mix things up by adding a bit of fresh, finely grated citrus zest. The combination of the three gives the cookies a “bakery” type flavor. They can certainly be omitted or substituted with other natural extracts to change up the flavor. We will sometimes add ground nutmeg, cinnamon, or cardamom, or even lavender buds to the dough.
The last swap is the decoration—I’ve been so excited to find all-natural food colorings and sprinkles in stores and online. I’ve pulverized freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, and mango to both tint and flavor the frosting. We also use naturally colored chocolate candies (Trader Joe’s are our favorite), sunflower seeds, and chocolate chips as “sprinkles.”
Other Tips for the Best Sugar Cookies
Don’t be tempted to add more flour to the dough when mixing. I know no-chill cookies are a huge time saver and almost always contain extra flour. However, I prefer to chill the dough several hours, or overnight if possible. The flour will hydrate as the dough chills, and it won’t be as sticky. (This sugar cookie dough is a dream to work with. It’s not very sticky, but still soft.)
Chilling the dough also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and in maintaining their shape if a more intricate cookie cutter is used.
I like to roll the dough out between sheets of parchment paper. Not only does it make cleanup easier, but the dough also doesn’t stick and I can use less flour.
The oven temperature is set higher than in other recipes. The higher temp and shorter baking time yield sugar cookies with lightly crisp edges and tender, chewy middles.
For softer cookies, add 2-3 teaspoons of honey along with the sugar during the creaming step. Honey is a humectant and will keep the cookies moist and soft. Or, the dough can be rolled slightly thicker, or the cookies can be slightly under-baked. All of these things will yield softer cookies.
If you prefer not to cut the cookies into shapes, the chilled dough can be rolled into balls and baked at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. They are good with or without frosting.
The Best Sugar Cookie Frosting Ever
Of course, we can’t make sugar cookies without talking about sugar cookie frosting! The best sugar cookie frosting, in my opinion, is made with 100% real butter and a touch of cream cheese. That little bit of tang and texture from the cream cheese gives the frosting richness and a little extra zing.
Another difference between my frosting and others is that I use half-and-half, or cream, for the liquid instead of milk or water. I also like to add those same extra flavors to the frosting as I do with the dough. The lemon zest is the perfect addition for spring and summer—I tend to omit it during the colder months.
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies for Newbies and Amateurs
Piping frosting onto cookies is hands-down the easiest way to decorate them. These days there are tons of different tips to create beautiful decorations—I prefer the simplicity of a round or open star tip. Save the small piping tips for intricate work and utilize the big ones. They make everything easier. Bonus: kids also love manning a piping bag.
Some things don’t come naturally to me. Can I make a decent looking cake and batch of sugar cookies? You bet. But I will probably always be an amateur when it comes to cookie decorating—Ha! But that doesn’t mean what I create can’t still look nice. So, I have a few tips to help make cookie decorating less intimidating and easier.
When filling the piping bag, be sure to poke down into the bag to help release any large air bubbles and roll or twist the bag (think: toothpaste or ointment tubes) in order to stay in control of the bag. It does take practice, but it’s not too difficult to figure out if you’ve never used one before.
To make simple flowers, I most often use either an open or a closed star tip, squeezing with gentle, but firm pressure for smooth piping.
To make leaves, I use a small basic leaf tip. But there are so many different leaf tip styles and sizes.
There are hundreds of tutorials online that demonstrate how to pipe more intricate or complicated flowers and designs. I received a hand-me-down set of piping tips and have had fun playing around to create different flowers, but I still need LOTS of practice. Ha!
One of my kids’ favorite things is to make sandwich cookies. These sugar cookies are perfect for sandwich cookies. I will under-bake them just a bit so they are softer. It helps keep the frosting from squishing out with every bite.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. Let us know how it goes in the comments!
The Best Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour or pastry flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup organic evaporated cane juice up to 3/4 cup, or sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 lemon zest, optional
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract optional
- 2 teaspoons honey optional
Instructions
To make the dough
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and then set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until creamy using an electric stand or hand-mixer. Add one egg and beat just until combined; repeat with the second egg. Add the lemon zest, if using, vanilla extract, almond extract, and honey, if using. Beat just until combined. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl as needed.
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat just until combined. Repeat two more times. Stop the mixer and stir gently to incorporate any remaining flour. Don't over-mix the dough or the cookies will be tough instead of tender
- Form the dough into a ball and flatten slightly to form a disk. Wrap well with plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill for several hours or overnight.
To make the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lay a large piece of parchment paper out onto a clean, dry surface and dust lightly with flour. Unwrap the dough and sprinkle the top with a little dusting of flour. Roll the dough into a large rectangle or oval that is about 1/4-inch thick. (It can be rolled thinner or thicker, if desired, according to preference.)
- Cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to the lined baking sheets, making sure to leave a little space in between to allow for a little bit of spreading.
- Bake for 5-8 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. The cookies will be set in the center and lightly browned on the edges when they are done. For crisper, golden cookies, bake for a few minutes longer. The baking time will change, too, depending on the size of the cookie cutters.
- Repeat the process with remaining dough scraps, gathering them together into a ball and re-rolling on a lightly floured surface. Allow the cookies to cool for several minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to cooling racks. Let cool completely before decorating.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
The Best Sugar Cookie Frosting
Equipment
- Piping Bag
- Stand or Electric Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces butter salted, 2 sticks, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar organic, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half up to 3 tablespoons, or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder or powdered egg white, optional
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract optional
- 1/8 teaspoon pure lemon extract or 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
- natural food coloring optional
Instructions
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together using a stand or electric hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar, alternating with the half-and-half or heavy cream. You may not need all of the powdered sugar.
- Beat in the vanilla and other extracts, if using. Tint the frosting using natural food coloring drops or powder, if desired. Refrigerate the frosting, covered, until ready to use.
- Before decorating the cookies, allow frosting to come to room temperature and stir vigorously to restore the fluffy texture. Frosting can be spread or piped onto cookies.
The photography and your cookie decorating skills are amazing!! I have peach extract, do you think that would work?
‘Tis the season … has anyone figured out how to substitute maple syrup for the slave sugar? New mom here and desperate for a recipie that has been reviewed, is whole foods based, and (here’s thr kicker) is ethical. Regular sugar never hits that mark. Any tips? (New mom detail added to illustrate my absolute lack of room for error … little baker is enthusiastic but only 15 months. )
Can I use only honey or pure maple syrup instead of the evaporated…? If so, what would you suggest changing because of the more liquid?
Hi Jacque, you can, but the dough would be very, very soft and sticky, so you want to add more flour or use less. Lindsey hasn’t tried it, so she can’t say for sure what the proportions are. Another suggestion is to use powdered/dehydrated maple syrup or honey. Date sugar may also work. Hope this helps! – Nicole
Hey, I tried your recipe on my pre-christmas cookies and it was so super yummy! I even made a wrapping around them. So good! THanks for the recipes.
Dear Lindsey Johnson,
You never ceases to amaze me with your amazing recipes, The Sugar Cookies looks amazing I bet it tastes good too cant wait to try it <3
Made these yesterday in a special education class. They were an instant hit. My favorite Home Ec. Teacher raved about them!
What can I use to substitute for the evaporated cane syrup? If I understand correctly, its not a liquid. It’s a powder form, correct?
Thanks,
Evaporated cane juice is just a less processed type of granulated sugar. Sometimes it’s just labeled “organic sugar.” You can substitute regular granulated sugar or another dry sugar – coconut sugar, sucanat, raw sugar (give it a blitz in the blender because the crystals are much larger), etc.
Can I add cocoa powder to make chocolate frosting?
Yes! Add as little or as much as you’d like. You may need to add a little more liquid depending on how much cocoa is added.
Does the frosting firm up as it sits? I’m thinking of ways to decorate the cookies and take them to a church function without the decoration getting destroyed.
Hi Nikki – yes, the frosting does firm up as it sits. If you need it to be stiffer or dry more quickly, you can add a little egg white/meringue powder when you are adding the powdered sugar. Not too much – a few teaspoons at the most – should do the trick.
Could you substitute pure maple syrup for the evaporated cane juice?
Hi Charity – unfortunately, no. If you can find maple syrup powder (basically like evaporated maple syrup), that would maybe work. I haven’t tried it so I’m not 100% sure.