Description
Classic sugar cookies with a soft, chewy texture topped with colorful buttercream frosting, perfect for festive occasions like Halloween. This recipe yields about 30 cookies and involves chilling the dough, baking to a golden perfection, and decorating with vibrant frostings for a fun and delicious treat.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Orange food coloring (optional)
- Yellow food coloring (optional, for candy corn decoration)
- Candy eyes (optional, for ghost decoration)
Instructions
- Beat: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, and sour cream, then mix until fully combined.
- Mix: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until everything is combined to form the dough.
- Refrigerate: Divide the dough into two portions and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to firm up the dough, making it easier to roll out and cut.
- Preheat: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the chilled dough on a baker’s mat or parchment paper. If the dough feels sticky, sprinkle in an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour. Use floured cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
- Bake: Place the cut cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the bottoms are just beginning to turn golden. Be careful not to overbake to keep them soft. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Mix Frosting: For the buttercream frosting, combine butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Divide the frosting into two or three bowls. Leave one plain white, add orange food coloring to another, and if desired add yellow food coloring to a third bowl for candy corn decorations.
- Frost: After the cookies have fully cooled, frost the pumpkin-shaped cookies with orange frosting. Frost ghost-shaped cookies with white frosting and add candy eyes for a spooky look. For candy corn cookies, frost the tip with white, the middle with orange, and the top with yellow icing for a fun tri-color effect.
Notes
- Ensure all wet ingredients are at room temperature for best mixing results.
- Rolling the dough between parchment paper can help prevent sticking and breakage.
- Do not overbake cookies to keep them soft and chewy.
- You can store the baked and frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Adjust food coloring amounts to achieve your desired frosting colors.
- Chilling the dough also enhances the flavor and texture of the cookies.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American