Easy Sugar Cookies (with options for low FODMAP and gluten free swaps)
I love baking during this time of year - I usually put on some pop holiday music and bake all kinds of fun desserts with a candle burning in the background. I was trying to think of a different dessert to bring to my in-laws for the holiday and I realized that I never made a sugar cookie recipe before! I made this recipe with a plan to test it and tweak it based on the initial result, but it was so good that I didn't need to tweak it all! I baked another few batches just be sure that the proportions were perfect and I can now confidently say that this is the best sugar cookie recipe ever! I hope you enjoy these cookies (throughout the holiday season and the rest of the year) just like my family did yesterday! I included one very simple swap in order to make this recipe suitable for different dietary needs, such as low FOMDAP and gluten free, so everyone can enjoy these cookies!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Equipment needed: Mixer (I used my Kitchenaid Classic Stand Mixer)
Ingredients (yields about 35-40 cookies)
3 C all purpose flour (can use gluten free flour to make this low FODMAP and/or gluten free - I like Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
1 1/2 C butter, salted, room temperature (this is 1 1/2 sticks or 6 oz)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder (use certified gluten free, if needed)
2 C sugar, plus additional ~2 Tbsp
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract (use certified gluten free, if needed)
Nonstick cooking spray
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cream together butter and 2 C sugar using mixer (reserve the additional ~2 Tbsp for now).
3. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined, but do not over mix!
4. Add flour, baking soda and baking powder. Again, mix until well combined, but be careful not to over mix! The dough should be slightly crumbly.
5. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray (I like to line my baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Also, I used 2 baking sheets per batch so I could cook more cookies at one time and I was able to bake all of these in 2 batches).
6. Use a spoon to scoop batter into your hands and roll batter into balls that are approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The dough will feel crumbly at first and will stick together as you roll it in to a ball. I found that gripping the dough (picture how you would do this with a stress ball) a few times and then rolling it into a ball worked best and prevented the dough from crumbling too much.
7. Place each ball of dough on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each ball in order to allow cookies to spread. You do not need to press down on the balls, as the dough will spread on its own in the oven.
8. Once the baking sheet is full, sprinkle additional sugar on top of each ball - I like to take a little pinch from the ~2 Tbsp reserve and sprinkle it on top of each cookie.
9. Bake in oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 13-15 minutes. The cookies should appear slightly puffy and the edges should begin to turn slightly golden, with slight cracks on the top of the cookie when baked. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes, as they may fall apart if handled when they are too hot. The cookies will flatten and will not appear as puffy once you remove them from the oven. Enjoy warm, fresh out of the oven (once cooled slightly) or store in an airtight container for about 3-4 days to keep them fresh!
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (1 serving = 1 cookie)
Calories 115 calories, Total Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 19 mg, Carbohydrates 19 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 77 mg, Calcium 4 mg
*Nutrient analysis uses a yield of 38 cookies
* I recommend choosing certified gluten free items for all ingredients if all possible sources of cross-contact need to avoided, such as in the case of celiac disease.
*Note: This blog post contains affiliate links, meaning I will make a commission if a purchase is made using that link at no additional cost to you. I never promote a product that I do not truly love on my website and all opinions are my own.
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