Cracked Sugar Cookies
I am warning you now, this cookie is a plain sugar cookie. It is also yummy! What’s better than a plain sugar cookie with a glass of milk, hot cup of coffee or a steamy cup of freshly brewed tea? These may easily be classified as comfort cookies. Speaking of comfort, isn’t it comforting, on a chilly and windy winter day to be warming your kitchen not only with the heat from the oven but the warm smells coming from it?
I finished baking and cooling the cookies and laid them on a plate with a wintry scene of a snowman and swirling snowflakes, placed them on the counter, sure to be seen by Miss T, my resident teen, when she walked in the door from school. Can you guess the first thing she did? Why, yes she inhaled one cookie, then one more, exclaiming in her serious teenage voice, “Mmmm, those are GOOD”. Now, that just makes a mother’s pride swell right outta her sweatshirt.
One reason I like making these particular sugar cookies, besides the yumminess, is that it only requires one bowl. The flour is sifted onto waxed paper-you’ll see in the directions. Here is a tidbit about sifted flour: if you do not own a sifter you can spoon the flour into a fine mesh strainer and use a wooden spoon to “sift” it. My tip for this recipe is to use parchment paper on top of your cookie sheets. This cuts down on the amount of grease and makes clean up a breeze. They come out of the oven slightly cracked with just a hint of golden brown edges. Pure and simple deliciousness.
Cracked Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups sifted all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened (I prefer butter)
- 1¼ cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*. (If not using parchment paper, grease the cookie sheets.)
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar onto a piece of waxed paper. Set the mixture aside.
- Beat together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture in 4 parts, mixing well after each addition, until well blended.
- Shape dough into balls, using 1 level tablespoonful for each ball. Place balls 2" apart on cookie sheets, do not flatten.
- Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove cookies to racks to cool.
I love your website. It is so refreshing. Bring me more.
-G
Thanks! Stay tuned….
Do you know of what alterations would be needed (if any) for making the sugar cookies at altitude?
Peggy,
Since I do not live at a high altitude I cannot say for sure the alterations you might need to make. What I can tell you is that in general at high altitudes the gases expand more quickly – so greater leavening action. For this reason, the amount of baking powder should be reduced if you are using a sea-level recipe. I’d try the recipe as posted and if you are not successful try reducing the amount of baking powder. Here are a couple of other tips for high altitude baking; using buttermilk instead of regular milk will provide acidity as well as moisture, richness, and tenderness. This cookie recipe does not call for milk of any kind but just for your future reference. Hope this is helpful and thanks for reading and good luck. Stay tuned for more delicious recipes from The Orange Bee.
Love your website!!! My,my, my…my mouth is watering for some of those sugar cookies! What fun this will be…reading about your bee adventures, discovering new things about you (orange, really?!), and learning some new recipes! I’ll be BACK!! 🙂
Thank you so much Tiffany! Yes, Orange really – orange yoga mat, orange toothpaste, orange phone cover, etc….. The Orange Bee…glad you liked it. Stay tuned…
This is way cool! I love cooking. Not so good at baking, but you may inspire me. I love to try new recipes and I’m looking forward to following your blog. This is gonna be fun….
Thank you so much for reading. I hope I DO inspire you to bake some tasty treats. Have fun and stay tuned…