Soft And Buttery Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 for convection ovens).
• Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy (1-2 minutes). Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat for another minute.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
• Slowly mix in flour mixture in two parts, on low until dough is just combined.
• Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight (this will make for a much flakier, tender texture, and gives time for the flavors to meld and mature. It will also make the dough much easier to handle).
• Cut off sections of dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet spaced apart 2-3 inches.
• Coat the base of a flat-bottomed glass in a thin smear of butter and dip in granulated sugar. Gently press the glass onto each dough ball until approximately 1/4 " thick (can be pressed thinner, which produces a slightly crisper, more delicate cookie).
• Bake on rack in bottom third of oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. Light cookie sheets work best, but if using a dark cookie sheet, adjust oven temp to 325 and begin checking for doneness after 8 minutes or so. Cookies are done when they are *just* starting to darken slightly around the edges. (Try not to overcook--this may produce a "burnt butter" taste. Err on the side of underdone.).
• Move promptly to cooling rack for 10 minutes before eating or storing. Enjoy!

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar; place a walnut or raisin in the center of each if desired. , Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
• Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until completely incorporated. Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough, roll with your hands into balls and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Put some sugar in a small bowl. Roll the chilled dough balls in the sugar and arrange on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
• Bake until the bottoms and edges are just barely golden and the tops are no longer glossy, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets about halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. , For frosting, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring. Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; transfer frosting to bag. Pipe decorations. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Freeze option: Freeze undecorated cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw and decorate as desired.