By Christmas prep. The ham ordered. The cookies planned. The tree bought — Connie picked it, I carried it, same division of labor for thirty-three years. This year the ornaments have a new one: a small ceramic chicken that Amber gave us at the wedding, hand-painted, with "Hensley-Okonkwo" on the bottom in her handwriting. It hangs next to the 1991 glass ball and the baby bootie ornaments and the coal car from 2008, and the tree tells the story of a family that keeps adding characters.
Earl Thomas helped decorate the tree. Helped is generous — he carried ornaments from the box to the tree and then carried them from the tree to the floor and then back to the tree and then to the kitchen, which is not decorating but is a logistical exercise that kept him busy and kept us watching and the tree ended up with all the ornaments below three feet, which is fine because that's where Earl Thomas can reach and the tree should be decorated for the person who cares most, and right now that person is twenty months old and believes that ornaments go where he can see them.
After Earl Thomas finally wore himself out and the tree stood there with every ornament clustered below knee height and the new Hensley-Okonkwo chicken found its spot next to the 1991 glass ball, Connie and I needed something to do with our hands — and sugar cookies have always been the answer to that. These are the ones I make every December, the same recipe, no variation, because some things earn the right to stay exactly as they are.
My Favorite Sugar Cookies
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min (plus 1 hr chilling) | Servings: 36 cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- For the frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 4–5 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Food coloring and sprinkles, as desired
Instructions
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and sour cream until smooth and fully combined.
- Mix in the flour. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not over-mix.
- Chill the dough. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Preheat and prep. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
- Bake. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just set and the bottoms are barely golden. Do not over-bake — they firm up as they cool. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Make the frosting. Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Adjust cream for desired consistency. Divide and tint with food coloring as desired.
- Frost and decorate. Once cookies are fully cooled, frost and decorate with sprinkles. Let frosting set before stacking.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 145 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 65mg