TWD: Grandma’s All-Purpose Sugar Cookies

(For the recipe, please visit Ulrike’s fabulous blog, Küchenlatein.)

I run hot and cold when it comes to sugar cookies. I don’t like thick and doughy cookies. I do like soft cookies–not too soft, but not crispy either. I like them thin, buttery, and of course, sweet.

This week I was happy to try out Dorie’s recipe for sugar cookies. Most of her cookies recipes I’ve tried have been great. I actually did like this recipe, although they weren’t the typical “sugar cookie” you might think of.

After tasting the dough, I realized this might be the perfect base for recreating the Rosemary Butter Cookies from Les Madeleines in Salt Lake City, UT. (If you are a local–you have to go there and try those and pretty much everything else, too.)

So, I divided the dough into halves. I added orange zest and poppy seeds to one half, and finely chopped rosemary and lemon zest the the second half.

I formed the logs, wrapped them in waxed paper, and placed them in the freezer until they were firm enough to slice. After I took the waxed paper off, I rolled the logs in raw sugar. I ended up getting roughly 50, 1/4″ slices. The cookies spread quite a bit, but it wasn’t a problem.

My daughter and I especially loved these cookies. I don’t know which one of sneaked more while the other wasn’t looking. They barely survived their photo shoot.

Look to a different recipe if you want the traditional kind of sugar cookie. Some of the bakers had success rolling the dough out and using cookie cutters. I found the dough to be too delicate and soft for that.

In any case, they are the perfect base for just about any flavor I imagine.

Check out the TWD blogroll and see the splendid creations of my fellow group members.

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38 Comments

  1. I wouldn’t have expected anything less perfect from you, Lindsey! Neatly tied up with ribbons, presented on a sage boutis …and what to say about the creative association of orange and rosemary, great idea you had!

  2. Your cookies look fabulous Lindsey. I did rolled out Christmas Trees with mine and decorated them. I love the simplicity of yours and yet what a depth of wonderful flavours they must have had! I will have to give these a try!

  3. Wow! Your pictures are just beautiful and I am so impressed with the flavors that you chose. Way to think outside of the box! I’m glad that you enjoyed these and I love the presentation.

  4. Wow they came out gorgeous! I’m more of a thick and chewy sugar cookie person, so I cut mine thicker than recommended and loved them. Overall a wonderful recipe!

  5. I bet Grandma never thought of rosemary. Clever and creative of you.

    I rolled & cut snowman cookies & they held their shape (chilled cookies before baking). I made some linzer snowmen with leftover dough.

  6. Beautiful cookies, Lindsey! Love the Rosemary tied with ribbon. I saw The Barefoot Contessa yesterday on the foodnetwork channel and she added blue cheese and walnuts to a shortbread or sugar cookie type dough. She did the same thing you did, made the log….she put the walnuts on the outside.(she said it worked better then putting in the dough batter) Anyhoo, great idea’s you’ve given me. Who knew you could take a sugar cookie to new heights! :-)

    jenny from KY!

  7. After years of making cookie cutouts I stumbled upon the most amazing and easy cookie recipe. WE call them “crack cookies” and they are amazing and easy and fast. Here is the recipe:

    1 cup butter
    1/2 cup powdered sugar
    1/2 sugar
    1 egg
    1/2 tsp vanilla
    2 1/4 cups flour
    1/2 tsp cream of tartar
    1/2 tsp baking soda

    icing:
    1/4 cup softened butter
    1 T whipped cream cheese
    3-4 cups powdered sugar
    1/4 c half & half
    1 tsp vanilla
    1/8 tsp almond extract

    Mix. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7-9 minutes at 375 [don’t overbake]. Ice

    If you try them let me know what you think but I will never go back to the cutouts. My Nana who would be in her 90’s now was famous for always having cutouts at each holiday. Every child, in-law, and grandchild LIVED for these cookies. BUT the crack cookies have replaced them.

    BTW I am Sara Stratford’s sister.

  8. You are wonderfully creative…these a great testimony to that. Very beautiful and the flavor combinations sound lovely. Great job…thanks for sharing your ideas so generously.

  9. oops that was my delete i had a typo

    nice job sista- i love the photographs. i swear you get better every time and you are already awesome at staging food.

  10. baking challenged here…i checked out the site. the “english” version does not translate well. could you e-mail me the recipe in a way that i can understand it? i want to try it with lavender. thanks. my love to all. :)

  11. Looks delicious! And what great pictures you have on it as well! Oh and if you have time will you drop by at Foodista ? We are building an online food and cooking encyclopedia ala wikipedia and you can also check out our recipes on the site as well :) Cheers!

  12. Hi Lindsey, love the demonstration of almost savory with a sugar cookie base. A fan of rosemary I will be anxious to try it! :-) Your photos are quite nice. Your cookies delicate. The crack cookie recipe I see in your comments is probably delish. I am familiar with a similar one and they are coveted. he he
    Have a wonderful holiday with the family.
    AmyRuth

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