Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 270g all-purpose flour (about 2¼ cups)
02 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
03 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
04 - ¼ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon fine salt
06 - 113g unsalted butter, softened to room temp (½ cup)
07 - 200g white granulated sugar (1 cup)
08 - 1 large egg, at room temperature
09 - 60g sour cream, room temp (¼ cup)
10 - 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
11 - ¼ teaspoon almond extract (skip if you prefer)

→ Frosting

12 - 113g butter, softened (½ cup)
13 - 240g confectioners' sugar (2 cups)
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus extra as needed
16 - Gel food coloring in your favorite shade (optional)
17 - Rainbow sprinkles or jimmies for topping (optional)

# Instructions:

01 - Grab a medium bowl and whisk together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until everything's evenly distributed. Set this aside for now.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar until it's light and fluffy. Crack in your egg and pour in both extracts (vanilla and almond if using), beating until smooth. Fold in the sour cream and keep mixing until fully incorporated, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
03 - Gradually add your flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl and bring everything together. The dough will feel thick—that's perfect. Form it into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
04 - Heat your oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll your chilled dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter (2½ to 3 inches works great) to stamp out circles. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and keep cutting until you've used all the dough. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 8 to 9 minutes—they should barely start to show color around the edges but stay pale on top. Let them cool completely on the pan.
05 - While your cookies bake, beat the softened butter in a bowl until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then slowly drizzle in the milk as you mix on low. Once combined, crank the speed up to high and whip until the frosting is fluffy and smooth. If you want colored frosting, add gel food coloring drop by drop until you get your desired shade.
06 - Once the cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe a generous layer of buttercream on top of each one. Finish with a sprinkle of colorful jimmies or sprinkles for that classic bakery look.

# Notes:

01 - Don't skip the cornstarch—it's what gives these cookies their signature soft, pillowy texture.
02 - Chilling the dough for a full hour is crucial. If you skip this step, the dough will be too sticky to work with.
03 - All your cold ingredients (butter, egg, sour cream) should be at room temperature before you start mixing for the best texture.
04 - The dough might look a bit thick at first, but a few gentle pats will bring it together nicely.
05 - Check your baking powder and baking soda expiration dates—expired leaveners won't give you that fluffy rise.
06 - These cookies should stay pale and soft—overbaking will ruin the tender texture, so pull them out when they're just barely starting to color at the edges.
07 - The almond extract mimics the flavor of store-bought Lofthouse cookies, but feel free to leave it out if you have nut allergies.
08 - Use real vanilla extract instead of imitation for the best flavor.
09 - Gel food coloring is your best bet—you'll need less of it to achieve bright, vibrant colors without thinning the frosting.
10 - While pink frosting is the iconic choice, you can use any color you love.
11 - The size of your cookie cutter will affect your final yield—bigger cutters mean fewer cookies, smaller ones mean more.
12 - This recipe makes approximately 28 cookies, but it's easy to double if you're feeding a crowd.
13 - Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Back