How does sour cream affect baking?

Sour cream adds a lot of moisture to baked goods. In the case of these cookies, it makes them soft and chewy .

What does baking soda do to cookies?

It acts together with an acidic ingredient (sour cream in the case of this recipe) and makes the cookies rise, and also makes them chewy .

How do you keep sugar cookies from spreading when baking?

Using parchment paper and cold dough always works for me. Sometimes I pop the pan with the cut-outs in the freezer for five minutes before baking. The very cold dough will bake around the edges before the butter completely melts and spreads too much.

How do you add flavor to sugar cookies?

Several ingredients can be added to achieve this: citrus zest, extracts (we use vanilla and almond), or ground spices .

Soft Sugar Cookies (with sour cream)

Name: Sour Cream Cut Out Cookies
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar; 1/2 cup (115g) butter, at room temperature; 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste; Few drops of pure almond extract; 1 egg, at room temperature; 2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose or cake flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 8oz (225g) regular cream cheese, at room temperature; ½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar (you might need to add more to achieve the thick consistency needed); ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract (you might want to use clear vanilla so it doesn't make the white opaque, see Notes below); Different colors of food dyes (see Notes below)

Ingredients

Units

For the cookies:

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (115g) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Few drops of pure almond extract
1 egg, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose or cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

8oz (225g) regular cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar (you might need to add more to achieve the thick consistency needed)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (you might want to use clear vanilla so it doesn't make the white opaque, see Notes below)
Different colors of food dyes (see Notes below)

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Instructions

For the cookies:

In a large bowl, beat butter and sour cream.
Add sugar and mix until well combined. I do everything by hand but you can use an electric mixer.
Add vanilla, almond extract and egg. Mix very well.
Add, sifting, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Using a spatula, Integrate very well. I recommend not using a beater at this point to avoid over working the flour which results in tougher cookies.
It must be a smooth and non-sticky dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day. At this point it can be frozen for a month, well wrapped.
I recommend putting it in the freezer (in addition to the refrigerator) for 15 minutes before rolling it.
Turn the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Work with half the amount of dough at a time and keep the rest wrapped and refrigerated in the meantime.
Lightly flour the counter and rolling pin and roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out cookies in the desired shapes and put on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until dry, puffy, and barely colored.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

For the frosting:

In a bowl beat cream cheese with butter until very creamy and no lumps remain.
Gradually add sugar and vanilla until you have a thick, very creamy consistency, good enough to spread. You might need more sugar, up to a half-cup or so.
Divide among bowls depending on the number of different colors you want to make.
Add a drop of food coloring at a time, mix, and see if the color it's what you like. I like to leave one white and sometimes add white coloring to make it a brighter white.
It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Beat again before using to attain a creamy consistency.

Notes

Food coloring: I love to use gels, such as the Wilton Icing Colors, gel-based food color because they integrate easily and the colors are vibrant. Also, Bright White soft gel paste for achieving a shinier white color.

Vanilla: if you want to have white as one of the frosting colors, I suggest you use clear vanilla instead of the regular dark one. Keep in mind that it's artificially flavored. I like Wilton's Imitation Clear vanilla extract.

Room temperature: make sure the ingredients are at room temperature as specified in the recipe. It does make a difference in how well they integrate.

Mixing: after the flour is added the best way to mix is with a spatula. The more you mix the tougher the cookies will be. If making a very large batch you can use the paddle attachment in the stand mixer, but make sure you just mix everything until there are no flour spots. Don't over mix it!

Refrigeration: it's important to have chilled dough before rolling. I sometimes put it for 10 minutes in the freezer (after it has been in the fridge according to the recipe) before rolling it out. You don't want the dough to start softening too much while you cut out the shapes.

Variations: add a different extract, citrus zest, or even a ground spice you love for a different cookie.

Author: Paula Montenegro
Prep Time: 90
Cook Time: 10
Category: Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American