Egg Yolk Only Sugar Cookies
This morning I made a cake and iced it with something called “sea foam frosting”. I will post another entry on that cake if it is any good, but for now, I’m going to share a nifty way to use the egg yolks leftover from sea foam frosting…..or other egg white based goodies.
This is a really old sugar cookie recipe which uses our powdery old friend cream of tartar. The cookies are fairly thin (but not wafer-like) and have a good crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside texture. You can flavor them however you like. I used vanilla extract and lemon zest. They’re pretty sweet, so I made mine without any decorative sugar on top. The kids liked the ones with colored sugar (surprise, surprise).
Egg Yolk Only Sugar Cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 (slightly rounded – not quite ¾) teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter (if you use salted butter, use only ¼ tsp. salt), softened
2 cups, scant, granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 egg yolks
Thoroughly stir together first three ingredients. If you have time, sift them. I didn’t and the cookies turned out fine. Stir in the salt.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest, then one by one, beat in the egg yolks.
Slowly stir in the flour mixture. When mixture is well mixed, form into 1 inch balls and place balls about 2 inches apart on a non-stick or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies start to brown around the edges. Mine took about 12 minutes to brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
I don’t have a yield yet because I’ve only baked up about 14 cookies.
I’m always looking for a good sugar cookie…one to try.
Hi Anna! What great timing! I’ve a few yolks that needs using up. What temperature should I bake these cookies at?
Bake temp is 350. Thanks for alerting me to that. I wrote the recipe in a different format than usual.
woot! thanks! i have a ton of egg yolks left over in my freezer from an angel food cake…
I hope you like the cookies. Frankly, I find them a bit sweet, but I like the texture and the way they look. I might try subbing some unsweetened dessicated coconut on an ounce for ounce basis with the sugar. Don’t know when I’ll ever get around to doing this, but it’s on my list of things to do.
Great. Everything except what temp to set the oven!!!!! It matters I would think!
Oh well.. I’ll try looking up similar cookies and use that.
ps, you also left out at what point to add the salt. No matter, I’ve made enough to know to add it.
Hi Jen!
Thanks for pointing out the oven temp. It’s 350 degrees F. Of course, all ovens vary so go by how the cookies look. I did include when to add the salt, though. It’s right after you sift the first 3 ingredients. I don’t usually sift the salt with the other dry ingredients because salt doesn’t always go through the sifter.
is that fahrenheit or celsius. it is fahrenheit isnt it. oh well, i’l just have to change it.