Bake

Aunt Joan's Cut Out Cookies

December  6, 2016
4
3 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes tons and tons of cookies, depending on the size you cut them
Author Notes

Not too sweet and with an almost floury flavor, these cookies—the recipe for which is from the family of my friend Mackenzie Merkel and her mom, Kim Rudenberg—may seem plain when compared to other sugar cookies in a crowd. But swipe them with some soft buttercream (Aunt Joan uses canned cake frosting but homemade would be delicious) and you can appreciate how their soft cakiness mimics grocery store-style cookies. —Sarah Jampel

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Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes using an electric mixer, and then add the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix to combine.
  2. Stir together the dry ingredients, then add to wet ingredients slowly. Chill for at least 1 hour.
  3. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick (you may have to add a bit more flour to the actual dough as well). "These cookies are cake-like," says Aunt Joan, "and the thickness is what makes them good." Cut or slice into shapes and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets (don't put the cookies too close together—these spread a bit).
  4. Bake at 350° F until the bottoms are slightly browned and the tops are puffy, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Don't over bake.

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2 Reviews

Rose December 18, 2020
The first time I made this I couldn't stop eating them but this time the dough was so sticky that I couldn't manage it. I kept adding flour to be able to handle it.
Rose December 26, 2016
Love this! I cannot stop eating them. Thank you!