Soft Sugar Cookies

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Last updated on April 20th, 2023

Soft sugar cookies with nutmeg have got to be up there with chocolate chip cookies as one of the classic cookies of all time!

It makes me feel nostalgic thinking of all the times my mom would make these as an after school treat growing up. I loved getting to spread the icing on and then adding sprinkles to the top to make them pretty.

And as an adult, I still love this classic cookies. The buttery cookies paired with the sweet frosting go so well together.

I’ve made them so many times for holidays, school parties, birthdays, baby showers… it’s so easy to color the frosting or use sprinkles for whatever your theme is.

And because there’s nothing added like nuts or chocolates, they seem to appeal to the masses more than a specialized cookie. A soft sugar cookie is like the cookie that never fails!

How to Make Homemade Sugar Cookies with Nutmeg

This cookie recipe works like most cookie recipes in that you cream together your wet ingredients in one bowl and stir together your dry ingredients in another.

In the bowl of a large stand mixer , add softened unsalted butter and sugar and beat until creamy and smooth.

Then add a teaspoon vanilla extract and a teaspoon almond extract until combined. I love that this recipe uses almond extract too. It’s not overpowering at all, but gives it a hint of that flavor to make it really stand out from other cookie bar recipes.

Then, add an egg being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and mixing well. Add a second egg, doing the same.

In a medium bowl, add your dry ingredients: flour, teaspoon salt, cream of tartar or Sour Cream, a teaspoon baking soda and nutmeg . Stir together well.

Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until combined.

Then drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie dough Sheets with parchment lined cookie sheet . I use a silicone baking mat for mine instead. Also, make sure that the distance between each cookie dough are two inches apart.

Bake at 350 for about 8-9 minutes until the edges are just at the very beginning stages of turning light brown.

Then remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients:

butter, softened powdered sugar almond extract hot water food coloring, optional Beat all ingredients in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Then spread on cooled cookies.

Tips to Making Soft Sugar Cookies:

• These freeze really well if you want to make a double batch for later! You can freeze the balls of cookie dough before baking or you can freeze the cookies after baking and frosting. If you freeze them after they’re frosting, the icing might “sweat” a little as it thaws, but it will still taste great!
• You do NOT want to overbake these cookies! I find that 8-9 minutes is the sweet spot. If they start turning too brown at the edges, you’ve cooked them too long and the cookies will be hard after they’re cooled
• If you want to add candy sprinkles or jimmies to the Sugar Cookie frosting, make sure you do that right away before the Sugar Cookie Icings have a chance to set.
• The frosting will harden a little so that you can stack the cookies on top of each other.
• If the sugar cookie dough is too sticky to handle, you can place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking. You can use an airtight container for this.
• These are not roll-out cookies that you use cookie cutters for. It will not work for that as that dough just spreads as it bakes.
• If you do not want the Sugar Cookie Frosting, my mom used to just sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top before baking and they were delicious!

Looking for more desserts recipes

Looking for more dessert recipes? We’ve got you covered! Here are some delicious recipes that will have you licking your fingers and begging for seconds.

• Easy Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Cranberry Cheese Bars
• Holiday Turtle Fudge
• No Bake Strawberry Pie
• Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Coconut Mousse Napoleons
• Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispy Treats
• Butterscotch Pudding Cake in the Slow Cooker

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