Sugar Cookies

When I was young, maybe around 12-13yrs old, I remember making sugar cookies with my 3rd elder sister for Hari Raya.. We followed this Pillsbury recipe book.. I remember vaguely she said to me that Sugar Cookies actually must be rolled and cut using cutters but she lazy and we shall take the easy way out. So we end up making Drop Sugar Cookies and sprinkle some rainbow sprinkles.. It was one of my favourite Raya cookies that we made.. Those were the years when she was still free to bake and I would be helping her around... I love and miss those times actually..

I never knew sugar cookie dough was so hard to handle till now.. I tried different recipes and all the receipe, the dough became soft and sticky and I just had no idea how to solve it.. My incessant trips thru and fro the fridge was useless.. and I still ended up with ugly cookies that I was not satisfied with. But I never gave up trying new recipe and reading up and watching videos on sugar cookies.. Asking fellow bakers around for a good recipe and method.. And whether they face the same problem.. I can never understand why the recipe I made is so hard to handle, it's just sticky and I can't even cut it nicely.. And I will end up getting frustrated and just blame the weather in Singapore.. Hmmm..

But.... I was fortunate enough to found this sugar cookie recipe.. And it was so much easier to handle.. It wasn't sticky and it's a faster way and definitely less hassle. All thanks to being a member of the Daring Bakers. :) It was the Sep challenge where they had to make decorated sugar cookies..

Sugar Cookie are naturally sweet if you can't tell by their name.. haha.. However, I realize that I have no patience to decorate with Royal Icing flooding method.. The top reasons being I have to let it out to dry, I worry that the cookies become soft after exposing it in the air so long. Secondly, I realize the flood makes the cookies soft and lose the crunchy texture of the cookies.. Hmmm.. Or isit just me?? hahaha.. Last reason why I dislike flooding is, it adds more to the sweetness and the cookie become excessively sweet.. Just too bad I no longer have a sweet tooth but I'm pretty sure kids will like it.. I stick to Royal Icing in medium consistency as it dries faster and you can always use fondant too.. :) Fondant is good because if you're not a fan of fondant, you can always peel it off.. Hehe..

This recipe has a whole different method and it works really great and much faster and I totally dig it.. You roll the dough before putting in the fridge.. That's the secret to efficient-ness.. But it's really sweet.. Maybe I should lessen the sugar.. Oh, Make sure you prepare alot of parchment paper..

Basic Sugar Cookies (taken from Sep challenge of the Daring Bakers by Mandy of "What the Fruitcake?!")
(my notes in red)

200g / 7oz / ½ cup + 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, at room temperature400g / 14oz / 3 cups + 3 Tbsp All Purpose / Plain Flour
200g / 7oz / 1 cup Caster Sugar / Superfine Sugar
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
5ml / 1 tsp Vanilla Extract / Or seeds from 1 vanilla bean

1. Cream together the butter, sugar and any flavourings you’re using. Beat until just becoming creamy in texture. (Tip: Don’t over mix otherwise you’ll incorporate too much air and the cookies will spread during baking, losing their shape).

2. Beat in the egg until well combined, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Add the sifted flour and mix on low until a non sticky dough forms. (Tip: I don’t have a stand mixer so I find it easier to switch to dough hooks at this stage to avoid flour flying everywhere).

4. Knead into a ball and divide into 2 or 3 pieces. ( I divided into 4. Smaller sizes makes it easier to keep in the fridge; takes up lesser space).

5. Roll out each portion between parchment paper to a thickness of about 5mm/1/5 inch (0.2 inch)

6. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30mins. (Tip: Recipes commonly just wrap the whole ball of dough in clingwrap and then refrigerate it for an hour or overnight, but by rolling the dough between parchment, this shortens the chilling time and then it’s also been rolled out while still soft making it easier and quicker).

7. Once chilled, peel off parchment and place dough on a lightly floured surface. (I didn't have to flour at all cos it is not sticky at all to me. Adding no flour is good news to me as adding more flour will makes dough tougher and will end up will tougher cookies, I think.. haha).

8. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or a sharp knife.

9. Arrange shapes on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate for another 30mins to an hour. (Tip: It’s very important you chill them again otherwise they’ll spread while baking).

10. Re-roll scraps and follow the above process until all scraps are used up.

11. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan Assisted) / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

12. Bake until golden around the edges, about 8-15mins depending on the size of the cookies. (Tip: Bake same sized cookies together otherwise mixing smaller with larger cookies could result in some cookies being baked before others are done).

13. Tip: Rotate baking sheets half way through baking if your oven bakes unevenly.

14. Leave to cool on cooling racks.

15. Once completely cooled, decorate as desired. (Tip: If wrapped in tinfoil/cling wrap or kept in airtight containers in a cool place, un-decorated cookies can last up to a month).

~You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrap around your finger...~