Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
Easy soft,dense, scratch sugar cookies topped with a vanilla frosting.
Servings 16 cookies
Cost 5
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter flavored shortening OR unsalted butter (96 grams shortening or 114 grams butter)
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ( 125 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or pancake syrup (36 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (200 to 210 grams)
- ⅜ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240 grams)
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened (70 grams)
- 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons whole milk or as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the shortening and sugar until creamy. Add egg, syrup and vanilla; beat well. By hand, gradually add flour mixture until blended.
- Shape dough into balls and roll in sugar OR leave plain if using frosting. For flatter cookies, press the dough down. For fat rounds, keep the cookie dough in balls. Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on size and thickness of dough balls. I really don't like things under-baked so I make the cookies large and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. You may like them better at 8 to 10, so check earlier if you are a fan of doughier cookies or if your oven runs hot.
- To make the frosting, beat the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer. Add milk as needed (starting with 1 ½ tablespoons and working up) and continue beating until creamy. Beat in the vanilla.
