Supreme Sugar Cookies

I have been asked many times about how to bake a great cookie, everytime.  Cookies, as simple as they seem are a lesson in patience and obedience. There are several components to a great cookie, I will try to highlight them here. 

1. Almost all cookies start with butter, and or shortening.  This means real butter in a stick, not a tub and not margarine, no butter substitute, artificial spread in a plastic tub or 'butter flavored' shortening. It is important that the butter be softened at room temperature.  There is only one way to do this....take it out of the fridge and wait. (about 1 hour)  You can't put it in the microwave. a warm bowl of water, melt it, or set it in the sun.  

If it calls for both make certain that you mix them well before continuing on to the next step.

2. Sugar.  Use the sugar the recipe calls for, if it calls for both brown and granulated sugar...do it.  Substituting all of one kind because you don't have both will not produce the desired cookie. When you mix the sugar(s) into the butter/shortening mixture, have some patience.  On a good mixer on medium speed this will take a minimum of 5 minutes.  Scrape the bowl down a couple of times during this process.

3. Eggs, do yourself a favor and dont use egg substitute or egg whites only.  When you mix this and any extracts that the recipe calls for into your mixture, get ready to hurry up and wait.  This needs to mix until the color of the mixture lightens several shades, in most cases almost white and looks like fluffy frosting, roughly 10 min.

5. Dry ingredients, when you are ready to mix these in, do so lightly.  If you are still using the mixer, mix until just incorporated.  I prefer to do this step by hand. If you overmix at this point your cookies will get tough.

6. Several cookie types need refrigeration.  Do not skip this step or scimp on the time.  It makes a huge difference.

4. Baking times.  Bake the cookies on the instructed temperature for the time stated in the recipe.  I don't care if you 'think' they look done or not. Now, after you remove the cookies from the oven, leave the cookies on the sheet for 1 minute before removing them to a flat surface or wire rack and wait at least five minutes for the cookies to set. Test your cookie and if it is a little underdone increase the time by 1 min.  If it is a little overdone, decrease the time by 1 min. 

With all that said, I realize the biggest complaint I will get is, people have dietary needs and substitutions are neccesary.  To that I reply, actually portion control, (1 or 2 cookies, not the whole batch) is the key to everything yummy. Almost without exception, any and all substitutions are bad for you and filled with chemicals, you really aren't doing yourself any favors. But, if you must substitute some of the ingredients, do not come back to me complaining that the recipe didn't work out, or that they didn't 'taste' like mine.    

Now without further ranting :) With the holidays coming up, here is my recipe for sugar cookies. Happy baking!! 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add the flour mixture. Blend on low speed, or mix in by hand, just until combined. Do not over mix. Gather dough into a ball. Refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 minutes, being careful not to brown. Let rest one minute then, transfer cookies with a spatula to cool on a flat surface.