Big Soft Sugar Cookies

I know what you’re thinking right now. You’re thinking one word: Lofthouse. If you don’t know what Lofthouse cookies are, then I guess that’s not what you were thinking. You were probably thinking something more like “sweet Jesus, get off of that screen and into my mouth you frosted fiend you!” Wait… are you batman?

Lofthouse cookies are the perfectly round, perfectly frosted, perfectly sprinkled sugar cookies you can buy by the dozen at any grocery store, Target or Wal-Mart. And let it be know right off that bat that I am NOT opposed to store bought cookies; they have their place. When it comes to sugar cookies, Lofthouse cookies are pretty hard to beat because of how sinfully soft and fluffy they are on the inside. Growing up, my mom and I always called them “softy cookies”  because they would literally fold and bend in half while you were holding them, they were so soft.

I’ve seen lots of copy cat Lofthouse recipes floating around the internet, but this one looked the most promising.

My advice on these: don’t roll out the dough and do cookie cutters. You will get frustrated and want to give up. This dough is VERY sticky, even after you refrigerate overnight. Instead, just roll into balls and flatten . Flatten them good and thin too, because they puff up.

The finished product has a texture very much like Lofthouse cookies, but the flavor is missing something or other and I’ve yet to find “store bought bakery” flavoring in the King Arthur Flour catalog. The icing is most certainly not the same as Lofthouse. It’s a basic buttercream that never hardens up the way the Lofthouse icing does. That said, these are still REALLY good if you like a thick and cakey sugar cookie. And you know what’s really cool to try? Sugar cookie bars! Yeah, just through some of the dough in a pan and bake’em like blondies. Way quicker than individual cookies… I’ll show you sometime.

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
From The Novice Chef

Ingredients

For the cookies:
6 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups light sour cream

For the frosting:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Sprinkles (duh)

Directions

For the cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk 5 cups of flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough needs to obtain the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour). Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Generously flour a work area and rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

For the frosting: To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved.

Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container. Let cookies sit overnight before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

Tags: sugar cookie