Lofthouse-Style Soft Sugar Cookies — The First Batch of December

December arrives and the house transforms in the specific way it transforms when five children are expecting Christmas. The tree is up on Saturday, which is the Larson rule: first Saturday of December, no exceptions, because Ethan once made the argument that if you start earlier you get more days out of the tree and the argument was logically sound enough that I could not refute it. We have a seven-foot artificial tree that we bought ten years ago when the real tree made Olivia sneeze so badly she cried. The artificial tree has been the subject of annual complaint from Denise, who believes that a Christmas tree should come from the earth and smell like it, and I have been ignoring this complaint for ten years with great efficiency.

Christmas baking begins in December and ends on Christmas Eve, which means the kitchen has three weeks of elevated chaos. This week: the first round of cut-out sugar cookies, which I make in a double batch and freeze half the dough for the second round later in the month. Also a batch of peppermint bark because it requires no baking and takes fifteen minutes and looks like it should be more complicated than it is, which I find deeply satisfying. Also the first batch of what Ethan calls Christmas fudge, which is my mother's chocolate fudge recipe using real chocolate rather than chocolate chips, cooked to soft ball stage, beaten until glossy, poured into a pan. It is the most technically demanding thing I make all December and I make it three times every year because it disappears.

Lily has decided on her Christmas gift list with the precision of someone who has been thinking about this since Halloween. One item: art supplies, specifically a set of professional-grade colored pencils that she identified online and bookmarked and then mentioned only once, casually, in October, and has not mentioned since. She is seven and she has the gift request strategy of a sophisticated adult. I already bought the pencils. I am saying nothing until Christmas morning.

The workshop schedule for December is lighter than November: one workshop, second Saturday, forty women, the Veterans' Community Center in Provo which holds more than the Orem one and which has a full commercial kitchen I have been coveting since I saw it in October. We are going to use every burner.

The cut-out sugar cookies are always first — not because they’re the easiest, but because they set the tone for the whole month and the kids need something to look forward to while the tree settles into its stand. This Lofthouse-style version is what I reach for when I want that thick, pillowy bakery texture without driving to a bakery: the dough comes together fast, freezes beautifully for the second-round bake later in December, and the frosting is the kind of thing Lily will absolutely want to help with, which means I’ll be finding pink sprinkles in the grout for weeks.

Lofthouse-Style Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min (plus 1 hour chill) | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• Peanut Butter Frosting:
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3–4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add wet ingredients. Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in the peanut butter chips. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
5. Chill the dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours. (To freeze half for later, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 6 weeks; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
6. Preheat and prep. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
8. Bake. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look just done — do not overbake. The cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
9. Make the frosting. Beat peanut butter and softened butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then add milk one tablespoon at a time, beating until the frosting is spreadable and creamy.
10. Frost and decorate. Spread a generous layer of frosting on each cooled cookie. Top with sprinkles if desired. Allow frosting to set for 15–20 minutes before stacking or storing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 178 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 95mg