The Perfect Sugar Cookies from Fine Cooking Magazine! This page used to have a link to the recipe, but alas Fine Cooking is no more. That's too bad because they had a great article on how to make perfect sugar cookies, the science behind sugar cookies and instructions for how to make chewy vs. crunchy. From the old notes, I can see that the cookies had corn syrup in them, which helped give them the distinctive texture. I'm going to try to track down the old recipe. Update: It's now at the bottom!
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Old Notes on The Perfect Sugar Cookies
We first made these for a Girl Scout get together, so these notes are originally from that.
The cookies live up to their name. The recipe gives you the option to make them chewy or crispy, and while I would have preferred crispy, the girls chose chewy so we went with that. In the end, all parties were pleased. While the corn syrup addition does make them chewy, they are still pretty crunchy around the edges. Also, the dough was very easy to work with -- not too sticky, not too dry. The girls are just learning the importance of making cookies a similar size and thickness, so having an easy to work with dough was important. My only complaint is that I sent all the cookies home with the girls and didn't save enough for us!
New Notes
This recipe is as good as I remember and I'm glad I found it. At one point I used it as a springboard to developing a sugar cookie recipe similar to Potbelly's, but I think these are a little cakier and lighter than theirs. They're not dry cakey, just not as doughy. These have a very precise amount of shortening and corn syrup, which I recommend adding if you want the recipe to work out as it is supposed to. Butter flavor works really well here. Also, don't forget the salt. In this recipe it is added with the creamed ingredients.
Recipe
Fine Cooking Perfect Sugar Cookies Chewy
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (175 grams)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (24 grams)
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (18 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 drops almond extract optional
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (270 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- sanding sugar or sprinkles coarse granulated sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar, butter, shortening, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, corn syrup, vanilla, and almond extract and mix on low speed until combined.
- In a second bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then add to the mixer. Mix on low speed until you have a soft dough.
- Shape the dough into 1-oz. balls (about 1 heaping Tbs. each).
- Roll the balls in sanding sugar or sprinkles and arrange at least 21/4 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are golden and the tops are cracked but not completely set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Jan says
Thanks...the quotes work!
Anna says
Adam, these are good for purists who don't want the flavor of vanilla pudding mix anywhere near their cookies ;).
Jan, the best way to find stuff that disappears like that is to use the search box. There's a trick, though. Right now you have to use quotations. I need to fix that. Anyway, the link is here.
https://www.cookiemadness.net/2008/05/1846/
Jan says
Anna; I saw the post for a honey cookie you got from Janet...the next it was gone. Can you repost it or send to me...thanks!
Adam says
Okay, but how do these compare to the "Secret Ingredient Sugar Cookies"? Because those are the best ones I've ever had. It's like the best part of a sugar cookie meets the best part of a shortbread cookie.
Ronda says
Thank-you!
XO
Tracy says
I nominated you for best mom food blogger:
http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/dinner/top-100-food-mom-blog-2011-nominate-a-food-blog/index.aspx
vanillasugarblog says
you know i love sugar cookies when they have a crispy edge and then chewy center.
i only wish i could get my snickerdoodles to do exactly that too. you know?
debzy says
As much as I hate to admit it, because I honestly didn't think it made a difference, pie crust made with King Arthur flour is DIVINE! Someone out there say "I told you so"...
This cookie recipe is definitely worth trying and I shall 🙂
thanks!
Gloria says
I love sugar cookies too. And thank you for the information about the flour (I am a gold medal unbleached "flour" child.)
I use an old sugar cookie recipe my friend's mom says she developed many years ago. In addition to the flour, butter, and egg she uses powdered sugar, vanilla, and a little bit of almond extract plus some cream of tartar and baking soda. They come out crispie because we always make them thin. The almond seems to add a little extra pizzazz.
Anna says
BB, I'd say the chewy are actually in the middle depending on how long you bake them. The girls made some of their cookies kind of small and thin so there's were chewy but still kind of crunchy around the edges due to *slight* overbaking.
Louise, I don't know! Maybe the cookies from your childhood had some special flavoring...maybe a little lemon zest or extract that made them special? This is a good recipe to test. You can adjust the flavorings, of course.
Ronda, thanks! I've fixed the link so that it goes to the article by Nicole Reese plus both recipes.
Ronda says
I love sugar cookies and these look great, but I didn't see on the link where the option for chewy or crispy was. Thanks!
Ronda
Louise says
I'm still looking for the sugar cookie I remember from my childhood. Maybe this is it. Another one for me to try. 🙂
bakingblonde says
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM I love sprinkles!
My mom loves crispy, my hubs loves chewy.I am somewhere in the middle!