History of the Sugar Cookie
While it seems the sugar cookie as been around forever (do you remember a time without them?), their history of being made in homes is actually rather recent. While small “cakes” were baked already several thousand years ago, they were always baked as circles, and mostly done by bakers, not on the domestic level. As Europeans moved to America, they started bringing their traditions with them. By this time, the gingerbread man had become popular, so gingerbread cookie cutters arrived with the Europeans. Before long, a variety of cookie cutters were made, but it wasn’t until the last 25 years of the 20th century that many individuals at home starting making their own sugar cookies and decorating them. Now you can find cookie cutters in every shape possible, even asking companies to make a shape you’ve designed. They can be decorated in a variety of colors and ways, using different kinds of frostings. Then they can be topped with sprinkles (in every color), edible glitter, or piped frosting. While sugar cookies can be eaten any time of year, they are most popular at Christmas. However, the sugar cookies has its own National Day on July 9 every year.
My History with the Sugar Cookie
My mom used to make sugar cookies occasionally when I was a kid, using a neighbor’s recipe. I thought it was the best sugar cookie. After I got married, I worked at a bakery in the mall. My job was to make all the bar cookies and cinnamon rolls. The owner made all the bread and the sugar cookies. We sold dozens and dozens of sugar cookies. Red, heart-shaped cookies were always available, but we also took custom orders. We decorated football helmets for the local high school during football season, leaves for the fall, Christmas shapes for Christmas, and other shapes as the need arose. For Valentine’s Day, we made hundreds of heart-shaped cookies. I found these cookies with just a hint of almond, to melt in your mouth. Unfortunately, my mom’s recipe got shoved aside and was replaced with this new sugar cookie recipe. It became the recipe I used when my kids were growing up until they were introduced to the store bought sugar cookies, often known as Lofthouse sugar cookies. We found a copycat recipe for the Lofthouse cookies, and those were my kids’ favorite. I can’t say I really enjoyed them much, so whenever I made cookies for someone else, I used this recipe. I trust you will find them as mouth-watering as I do!
How to Make
This recipe calls for butter. Personally, I have never differentiated between salted and unsalted (remember, I am a basic baker!). I have only tried these with salted butter, because that’s what I always buy. If you are a die-hard unsalted butter person, use that! Cream the sugars and vanilla with the butter, and then add the egg. Mix this together well before adding the dry ingredients. It helps to chill the dough briefly. Don’t leave it in the fridge too long, or the dough becomes too stiff to work with. (I won’t tell you how I know this.) Sprinkle flour on the surface where you will be rolling out the cookies, and roll out the dough to about 1/4″. Cut the desired shapes out of the dough, placing them on a cookie sheet. Bake these at 350 for about 10 minutes. There is not a lot of room for error on the baking time. Too little and the cookies are doughy. Too long and they get crunchy. So watch them closely! Once they cool, mix up the frosting. That hint of almond is included in the frosting, and it blends perfectly with the cookie dough. Frost the cookies with the appropriate color, and eat! This recipe should make about 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutter you use..
These were made for a basketball event. Please don’t judge by the decorating skills. I love to bake; decorating is not really my thing.
