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.
Larry's Sugar Cookies
3 ½ cups all purpose unbleached flour (15 ½ oz)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ⅔ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 large eggs
Sparkly Sugar for rolling cookies
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 36 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!