Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
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| Yield: | 2 1/2 dozen 3" cookies |
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, to taste; optional
- scant 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt*
- 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- *Reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon if you use salted butter.
Coating
- granulated sugar or coarse white sparkling sugar
Directions
1) Beat the oil, butter, and sugars together until fairly smooth; a few lumps of butter may remain.
2) Add the egg, beating until smooth. Beat in the extracts and nutmeg.
3) Stir in the dry ingredients, again beating until smooth.
4) Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, until it's stiff enough to scoop easily and hold its shape; overnight is fine.
5) Just before shaping the cookies, preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) 2 or 3 baking sheets.
6) Place some granulated sugar or coarse white sparkling sugar in a shallow pan, and scoop the chilled dough by the tablespoonful into the sugar, rolling to coat. Roll each ball into a round in your palms. The dough softens quickly; refrigerate it between batches.
7) Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
8) Bake the cookies for about 13 minutes, until their edges are just beginning to brown. Bake slightly longer for a crisper cookie.
9) Remove the cookies from the oven, and cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
10) As soon as the cookies are completely cool, store them airtight, to retain their crunchy texture. For soft cookies, allow them to rest uncovered overnight before wrapping and storing.
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 3" cookies.
Reviews
12/19/2011- For the vegetable oil, I used fresh canola oil. I'm not a fan of these cookies. They were pretty cookies, rather crumbly, but lacked the delicious flavor of a sugar cookie. Someone said they tasted almost "meaty". I used the vanilla, almond and nutmeg according to the recipe. Think I'll go back to my tried and true Land O Lakes recipe for Blue Ribbon Sugar Cookies and experiment with adding more vanilla, a bit of almond and nutmeg.
12/11/2011- Was feeling guilty that my cookie jar was empty and just finished making a batch of these. They're wonderful...they melt in your mouth(!) and they're easy.
- 11/29/2011
- Looks great but just wanted to know if the butter should be softened or used straight from the refrigerator. Thanks!
The butter should be room temperature. The softer, the better. But not so soft that it is shiny looking, just malleable. Elisabeth
- 11/29/2011
- I did not have coarse white sugar and used demara raw sugar instead. It gives a slight sweet molasses taste which goes really well with the vanilla. I instruct people not to chew them but allow them to melt in their mouths to get all of the flavors.
- 11/28/2011
- I have a question, Gurus of K.A.--I really, deeply HATE using oil in any baked product and usually use melted and cooled butter. Is the use of oil critical to this recipe? Could I use melted butter and soft butter to replace the oil?
Sorry I had to ask this in a review; I gave the recipe 5 stars so I wouldn't bring the rating system down.
This recipe performs best as written using both oil and butter. If you'd like an all butter recipe, use the Sugar Cookie recipe which is also tried and tested with all butter. Happy Baking! Irene @ KAF
- 11/28/2011
- yes, the nutmeg does deepen the vanilla. What a good idea! I had made up a jar of sugar and lilac flowers in May, so used this to sprinkle over the finished cookies. I'll try it next time with an earlier Spring blend from our French hillside made with violets, stronger than the lilac.
11/14/2011- I'm British so I am unfamiliar with a classic sugar cookie, but I must say, these were delightful. Mine do not look like the pictured, but are little domes, so I am still hesitant these are bona fide sugar cookies. Help anyone?
I was at first doubtful. the oil made the dough incredibly soft and greasy, and it took more than 2 hours to firm up. But having tasted them, they are buttery and crunchy. Not too sweet and the nutmeg certainly adds a depth to the vanilla.
If your cookies domed, the dough may have been over-mixed. It is important that the dough is properly mixed, but not to the point where too much air is beaten in. This will cause the cookies to rise. ~Amy
- 10/24/2011
- These are excellent-especially if you prefer a crispier vrs. a soft sugar cookie.
- 10/03/2011
- This is the best Sugar Cookie, ever! They are light, crispy and chewy! The only thing wrong is they are addictive, so definitely double the batch. I tried taking them out at 13 minutes,and just barely browned on the edges. I was expecting soft, but they were already crispy with out being hard. Very,very good. Thanks for the recipe.
- 10/02/2011
- Fabulously easy and tasty recipe! I think I may drizzle them with melted chocolate next time.
