Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Crispy Sugar Cookies with Lightly Lemon Frosting


Happy National Sugar Cookie Day!

The last time I made sugar cookies, they were moist and soft. And delicious. This time, I followed a different recipe that gave me cookies that were dry and crispy. And delicious.

I love sugar cookies topped with frosting. My favorite are the Lofthouse cookies you get at the grocery store in those little clear plastic containers. But as delicious as they are, they aren't exactly tight-budget-friendly. So I make my own cookies. I have yet to find a recipe for cookies and frosting exactly like those store-bought ones, but I have found several that I really like.

I particularly like recipes that don't require any refrigeration, or having to be rolled out. I'm a time-saver at heart, as long as it saves money as well. I figure, making cookies instead of buying them saves money, and not refrigerating or rolling and cutting the dough saves time. Sounds good to me!


Crispy Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, nutmeg, and egg in large bowl until smooth. Gradually stir in flour.

Shape dough by teaspoonfuls into balls (they don't have to be evenly shaped). Place dough ball on ungreased baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Press dough gently with bottom of lightly floured, flat-bottomed glass. Cookie should be about 1/4-inch thick.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet 1 minute, then remove to wire rack. Cool.


Lightly Lemon Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
Pinch salt (only needed if you use unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, and salt if needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. When you first start beating, the frosting will be very dry and crumbly. You'll be tempted to add more milk. Don't! After the 3 or 4 minutes of beating, the frosting will be thick and rich and creamy, and absolutely perfect! Beat in the lemon extract and food coloring. Spread or pipe onto cookies.

To make this into a more intensely lemon-flavored frosting, use lemon juice instead of milk.

I piped several different designs on my cookies, just for fun. Here's a few:










10 comments:

Jess NBP said...

those look yummy. thx for the comment love on my recipes.

Melinda said...

My mouth is watering and I can't wait to make this!

Michelle said...

OOOHHH! They look yummy! And I was on the phone with you discussing the frosting... It sounds so good it almost makes me want to make cookies! Thanks for talking me out of the ice cream yesterday. You're right, I don't need it.

I like the new layout, your title is cool!

Southern Plate said...

I love your blog! Your meals are so kid friendly! I'll be checking back often!

Clarity said...

I adore the flavours of lemon and sugar together so this is a new one on me ... and frosting... yum...

So nice, please send a box to London, it was my birthday last month :)kidding....

9milemom said...

these look soooo bad for my diet!

9milemom said...

I don't know why this keeps defaulting my identity as SLPHA. It is supposed to be 9milemom!

The other one is related to the homeowners association blog I started for our neighborhood.

argh! technology befuddles me sometimes. And I'm also drooling over the picture of pizza from your previous post as I type this. man I need to go eat breakfast soon!

Cakespy said...

ohhh my favorite type of cookie! They look beautiful and scrumptious!

Hazel said...

What kind of vanilla are you using for this recipe?

Stephanie said...

We usually use imitation vanilla flavoring, but of course you could use vanilla extract if you prefer.