Though I’m a chocolate chip girl at heart, I sure do love me some sugar cookies.

But I’m also verrrry picky about them. I’m not a fan of overly buttery sugar cookies, nor do I like them crispy. Much like Goldilocks, I like them just right.

And for me, that means soft, chewy, lightly sweet & very lightly browned (if at all).

I remember just such a cookie growing up, especially at the holidays, but none of the recipes I tried could replicate that distinct flavor & texture. Until I found this recipe years ago on a kids crafting site.

Now, I don’t have kids, nor am I all that crafty, so I have no idea how I ended up there (especially in the days before Pinterest). But however it came to be, it was well worth the find!

It only takes a few minutes to pull them together, and best of all – I’ve baked them straightaway without chilling the dough first & they came out fine.

Chilling is ideal in most cases, especially if you’re going to roll them out. But sometimes you don’t feel like waiting (or you don’t have the time). And in those instances, they’ve always been cooperative for me.

I think they’re best at room temperature, but hey – when you’re the baker, you can enjoy them however you want!

Soft & delicious sugar cookies

• 1/3 cup salted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup shortening (I use non-hydrogenated)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Toppings, if desired

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Cream butter & shortening with sugar.

Beat in the egg, vanilla & a pinch of salt and mix well.

Stir in the baking powder & flour.

At this point, you can chill the dough if you have time.

If you’re ready to bake them, there are a few strategies.

Pinch off a piece of dough and roll them into a walnut sized ball, then flatten to 1/4″ inch thickness. Then decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar. Or, if you want to make life easier – you can also roll them in the decorations before you flatten them to coat the whole cookie.

If you are planning to roll them out, split the dough in half and roll each half at a time, then cut with whatever shapes & cookie cutters you prefer.

You could also roll them into a log shape, chill, and slice just like the kind you buy in the store (except way better!).

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Allow to cool & store in airtight container up to 5 days.

In my experience, they freeze well as dough or in baked form if you won’t bake them all at once. It’s also a nice strategy for baking just a few at a time, which helps you control how many you eat at one time, or how many (if any) are leftover.