These Vanilla Sugar Cookies can be pivoted to make a variety of treats that all start with the same, simple base recipe. If you only have the capacity to make one cookie this season, this one will hit all the holiday notes.
The Story Behind These Vanilla Sugar Cookies
This is the cookie dough of my childhood. A mound of it sat snugly in the freezer until a holiday crept in (any holiday that called for cut-out cookies!), then into the fridge it went in a big, Pyrex bowl to thaw. I dipped into the bowl for bits of dough between cookie bakes and the nostalgic, dependable buttery-vanilla flavor that meant I was home. (I’m not saying I recommend eating raw cookie dough, I’m just saying my childhood was built on this habit and here I live to tell the tale).
Our family recipe is inspired by a magazine article published in 1979. It still sits, tattered and well-loved, in my Grandmother’s cookbook cupboard in the Yakima Valley. The original recipe featured a bit less vanilla and didn’t offer the modern substitutions we’ve experimented with over the years. These additions make a big difference in the way the cookies turn out. There’s something to be said for a classic, reimagined.
Vanilla Sugar Cookies “Sugar Cookie Magic”
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer w/ paddle attachment
- 2 Medium sized mixing bowls
- Mesh sieve or sifter
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Wire rack
- Frosting tools
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter dairy or non-dairy
- ½ cup Shortening or coconut oil
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs at room temperature or egg replacement equivalent
- 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 ½ cups All purpose flour or Bob’s Redmill 1:1 Gluten-Free
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Cream the Ingredients: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, shortening, and sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for about 1 month.
- Roll Out the Dough: When ready to use, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ½ inch thickness. For a slightly softer cookie, keep the thickness; for a crispier cookie, roll thinner.
- Cut and Bake: Use cookie cutters to cut your desired shapes or carve custom designs with a knife. Place cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. To test doneness, insert a toothpick—if it comes out clean, they’re ready!
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate: Once cooled, decorate with your favorite icing and sprinkles and enjoy!
Here are a few variations to try with the Buttery-Vanilla Sugar Cookie dough!
Thumbprints with Lingonberry Jam (or leftover Homemade Cranberry Sauce!)
- Additional Ingredients: Roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, lingonberry or other red berry jam
- Instructions:
- Form a one-inch round ball of dough.
- Chop or gently crush raw pecans or walnuts.
- Roll the dough ball firmly in the crushed nuts until coated completely. Re-shape into a ball as needed.
- Place on a lined baking sheet three inches apart and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until the dough is about half baked.
- Remove cookies and use a teaspoon or melon baller to create a half-circle divot in the center of each cookie. Place about one teaspoon of jam in the divot.
- Return cookies to the oven to finish the bake (about 4-6 minutes).
- Remove and let cool on a rack. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.
Sesame Tea Cookies
- Additional Ingredients: Raw sesame seeds
- Instructions:
- Form a one-inch round ball of dough.
- Roll the dough ball firmly in the raw sesame seeds until coated completely. Re-shape into a ball as needed.
- Place on a lined baking sheet three inches apart and bake at 350 degrees until lightly golden, about 12 minutes.
- Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before enjoying.
Chocolate-Coconut Cookies
- Additional Ingredients: ½ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened), 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Instructions:
- Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in a double boiler to avoid burning the chocolate. Set this aside to drizzle the baked cookies with later.
- Form a 1 ½ inch ball of dough.
- Place on a lined baking sheet three inches apart and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently press the cookies with the bottom of a jar or drinking glass until about ¼ inch thick.
- Return to the oven to finish the bake (about 4-6 minutes).
- Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
- Using a small wire whisk or a spoon, drizzle your melted chocolate over the cookies, as little or as much as you like.
- Sprinkle the chocolate with the shredded coconut, gently pressing it in so it sticks as needed.
Black Cherry & Almond Slice Cookies
- Additional Ingredients: 1 cup dried black cherries (unsweetened or sweetened), 1 cup raw sliced almonds
- Instructions:
- Chop the dried black cherries so they are about ¼ their initial size.
- Use your hands to gently incorporate the chopped black cherries and sliced almonds into the dough.
- Roll the cookie dough into a log, about 2 inches thick.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to make it easier to slice.
- Remove from the fridge and slice the cookie log into ½ inch thick coins.
- Place on a lined baking sheet three inches apart and bake at 350 degrees until lightly golden, about 12 minutes.
- Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
- Drizzle with an almondy glaze if you like before serving.
I almost always make our family favorite chocolate chip cookies and maybe even some chewy molasses with coarse sugar on top, but this isn’t possible every year. Life can look different from one season to the next.
I hope you make them with someone you love this season. And if you do, take a photo and let me know how you like them!
Fun tidbit: I am a contributing writer for Snohomish City Lifestyle and was delighted that they featured this recipe in their December 2024 issue both in print and on their website.
PSS. If you’re looking for another delicious treat that can be made any time of year, bake a batch of my favorite Pacific Northwest breakfast pastry, Cherry Almond Scones. They take me right back to the Valley.
