Larry's Sugar Cookies are based on a recipe similar to that of a bakery called “Larry’s House of Cakes” in Southern Illinois. I’ve never been to Larry’s and don’t know what the cookies are really like, but these may be close. The cookies are sturdy, crisp on the edges, chewy on the inside and can be decorated with either sparkly sugar or icing.
I finally got around to formatting this recipe in a recipe card. The full batch is below and I've turned the old recipe that's not in the card into a half batch.
These are pretty good, but I prefer almond extract over the lemon. Go with whatever you like. The dough comes out a little dryer than some. I haven't tested this recipe with all butter in place of shortening, but it might work with a few adjustments.
Half Batch Larry's Sugar Cookies
1 ¾ cups all purpose unbleached flour (215 grams)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter flavored vegetable shortening (70 grams)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams)
½ cup plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar (165 grams)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons firmly packed light brown sugar (35 grams)
1 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 large egg
Sparkly Sugar for rolling cookies
Instructions for Half Batch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Thoroughly mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream shortening, butter and both sugars. Add extracts and continue beating, scraping sides of bowl thoroughly. Add eggs and beat just until extracts are mixed in.
Add flour mixture to batter and stir until it is mixed in. Shape dough into balls of about 1 ¼ in diameter and place them 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Dip bottom of a flat-bottom drinking glass in water or hold it under faucet. Using the wet glass, press the cookies down slightly to make little disks – the tops will be slightly moist. Sprinkle sparkly sugar on top.
Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies appear set. Over-baking will make the cookies crispy.
Makes about 17 or 18 cookies.
Recipe
Larry's Sugar Cookies Copycat
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (weigh or measure with a light hand) (285 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shortening (regular or butter flavored) (98 grams)
- ½ cup salted butter, softened (114 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60 grams
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest or bit of lemon extract OR use almond extract
- ½ teaspoon butter flavoring (if using plain shortening)
Pink Frosting
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, softened (uf using unsalted, add pinch of salt)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 drops red food gel
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk as needed for consistency.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until incorporated.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat in the extracts.
- Add flour mixture to batter and stir until it is fully blended and you have a soft dough. It should not be super dry or too sticky.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out about 22 balls, then use the palms of your hands to roll them smooth. Press down gently to make ¾ inch thick rounds.
- Arrange rounds about 2 ½ inches apart and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned.
- Prepare the pink frosting.
Pink Frosting
- Beat together the butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Add the corn syrup, remaining powdered sugar and vanilla until fully blended. Add 1 tablespoon of the milk and enough red food gel to make the icing pink. Continue adding milk until icing is smooth and creamy.
- You can put the icing on the cookies while they are slightly warm if you'd like it to melt a little and turn shiny. Otherwise, spoon and spread on completely cool cookies.
Anna
Hi Brooklyn,
I'm glad you liked them! They were popular at our school bake sale. I just bought some Spectrum non-hydrogenated shortening and might try making these cookies with that.
Brooklyn
The best sugar cookies ever!!! I loved this recipe. The cookies stayed soft and chewy. They were perfect, I have never had a sugar cookie to turn out as good as these.
julie
Kathy, Thank you for the heads up- 🙂
Kathy
Anna - I think I am going to experiment using your suggestions. Turns out I have made the vegan spice cookie (I amped up the spices to make it more gingerbread-like)you mentioned a few times. I love the texture so appreciate your ideas for coverting it to a sugar cookie. I will let you know if I am successful in making something worth passing along.
Julie - I am becoming pretty experienced with the egg substitutes but often find the texture is off and prefer to stay with recipes that do not include eggs.
Chris C-L
I think I lived at Larry's House of Cakes when I was in college and when I was student teaching. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Larry's cookies. I ordered two dozen for Rick for Valentine's Day this year. We loving call it "Larry's House of Fat." Our favorites are the sugar cookies and the peanut butter cookies. You can see all of Larry's goodies at: http://www.larryshouseofcakes.com/
julie
I found this on-line- I have not tried it yet but the article (vegan specific baking tips) said it can be used in baking
The Recipe: Flaxseed Egg-Substitute
1/2 cup flaxseed
1 1/2 cup water
Directions:
Grind flaxseed to a fine powder in an electric coffee grinder.
Mix flaxseed and water in blender and blend on high for 2 minutes.
Chill for 1 hour to set up. It can be used now, but it has a more egg-like consistency if allowed to chill.
Keep refrigerated up to 3 days.
Using the Flaxseed Mixture:
1/4 cup of flax mixture = 1 Egg
1 cup of flax mixture = 4 Eggs
They have some recipes as well-
http://bakingdesserts.suite101.com/article.cfm/baking_desserts_recipe_box
Anna
Thanks, Sue!
Kathy, if you can't find a good vegan sugar cookie on the web, you might want to experiment. This vegan molasses cookie is very, very good.
https://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=1349
I'm thinking if you cut out all the spices, added extra vanilla and swapped either golden syrup or corn syrup for the molasses, you'd have a chewy sugar cookie. I'm not sure how it would taste, but it might work. It's worth a shot and you could test with a very small batch.
Oh, and you might want to throw in 2 teaspoons lemon juice so you'll have enough acid to work with the baking soda. OR you could try adding in 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
I bought those sparkles at our fancy H.E.B. grocery store.
Emiline
Pretty.
Kathy
Anna - Any thoughts on trying to veganize a sugar coookie? Or at least make it eggless? (I have an egg-allergic kid) My one attempt was sorta puffy but it tasted good.
Also, where did you get the colored sparkly sugar?
Sue
The kids are going to love these!! I hope the bake sale is a huge success. No doubt it will be!