Roll Out Cookie Hack

Rolled out cookies are always my favorite cookies. There is just something about eating a cookie that is shaped like a heart, or bear, or Christmas tree that just makes you happy!

However, rolling out the dough is the worst. There are so many factors at play that it's hard to nail it sometimes.

• The dough can be too cold.
• The dough can be too warm.
• The dough is sticky.
• The dough keeps cracking.
• The dough isn't rolling out evenly.
• The dough can't be worked too much.

 It is definitely the worst part about making delicious shaped cookies.

Most recipes call for some refrigerator chill time, because for cut out cookies, a lot of the rise comes from butter*, so you want to the dough to be cold, so that the butter doesn't melt prematurely. Premature melting is what causes misshapen, and greasy cookies. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Which is why older recipes always say to wrap your dough in cling film, and let rest in the refrigerator.

Which is nearly impossible to roll out after you've forgotten it for several hours, and it has unfortunately taken on the smell of the pungent onion your grandma cut and chucked into the refrigerator.


Which is where gallon sized ziplock bags came into my life and to the rescue. Instead of wrapping your dough in a ball in cling film, use a gallon sized ziplock bag. The pros are as follows

• ziplock bags are sturdy enough that you can make it as flat as possible without tearing
• you'll take up less space in the refrigerator
• the dough will be evenly chilled
• you will spend a lot less time working the dough
• you don't have to worry about getting caught in a roll of cling film

A gallon sized ziplock will perfectly hold a single batch of my Momma's Sugar Cookie Dough… and single batches of most other roll out cookie dough recipes.

When it's time to roll out your dough, just rip open the side of the bag and pull it out.

Momma's Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla (OR 1 teaspoon almond extract)
4 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dairy product

DIRECTIONS
In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
In a mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs in one at a time until incorporated, then add vanilla.
Incorporate 1/3 flour mixture, then 1/2 dairy product. Repeat. End with flour. Be sure to not over mix.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour- use my roll out dough hack!
Heat oven to 400ºF.
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
Cut with cookie cutter.
Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 3 minutes.
Bake for 7 minutes, or until bottoms are pale brown.
Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack, repeat with remaining dough.
Let cookies cool completely before topping with your frosting of choice, and ALL THE SPRINKLES.

Coconut Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
For the Cookies:
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
2 tsp coconut extract
5 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sour cream
1 tsp coconut extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. coconut milk (or as needed, to taste)
Toasted Coconut

DIRECTIONS
For the Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
In a stand-mixer or large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Cream together and slowly add in eggs. Then add coconut extract, and mix thoroughly.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture until combined and doughy.
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.
Dip the bottom of a glass into excess sugar and press on to each dough ball (re-dipping in sugar each time) to flatten the cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden-brown. Do not over-bake. Set aside to cool.
For the Frosting:
Cream together butter, sour cream, extract, and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar, and mix until desired consistency (you may not need all of it). Add coconut milk to thin if needed. Spread over cooled cookies, top with toasted coconut and serve! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to get that soda shop experience.

Sodalicious Cookies

Recipe Adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

INGREDIENTS

For the Cookies:
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
5 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp almond extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk (or as needed, to taste)

DIRECTIONS
For the Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
In a stand-mixer or large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Cream together and slowly add in eggs. Then add almond extract, and mix thoroughly.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture until combined and doughy.
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.
Dip the bottom of a glass into excess sugar and press on to each dough ball (re-dipping in sugar each time) to flatten the cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden-brown. Do not over-bake. Set aside to cool.
For the Frosting:
Cream together butter, sour cream, extract, and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar, and mix until desired consistency (you may not need all of it). Add milk to thin if needed. Mix in food coloring to desired hue. Spread over cooled cookies and serve! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to get that soda shop experience.

Guys, I am slowly increasing my A1C with the addition of SodaBomb! in Roosevelt- they are fantastic! Thankfully, they do not have Sugar Cookies every day like those other soda shops (Sodalicious, Swig) and I can keep myself in check. BUT their sugar cookies are vanilla flavored- still delicious- but they don't quite live up to the amazingness that is a Sodalicious Sugar Cookie… sorry Swig, the one time I gave you a chance-at the original, your sugar cookies were meh. Anyway, I had to find something to fill in the void, and I finally gave making some myself a chance. I'm SO glad that I did. These are SO good! If you are a monster, and do not like Almond Extract, go ahead and make them with Vanilla- just know that they won't be as good! Also, these get SO MUCH BETTER after sitting in the refrigerator over night.

Sugar Cookie Bars

recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Mix in vanilla.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (use a 13x18x1" pan/cookie sheet). The dough will be just like cookie dough- heavy and sticky- so it’s best to spray your hands with a little nonstick spray and use them to help mold the dough into the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients until well-blended. Spread on top of bars. Top with sprinkles if you want!

I love Sugar Cookies. My Mom made the most amazing sugar cookies when I was little, for Christmas, for Valentine's Day, and birthdays. So, I always find myself craving them during those holidays. Just FYI, birthdays are definitely holidays. But good sugar cookies are time consuming, they take forever and a day to make. SOOOO when I found these bars on pinterest, I knew I had to them! And I am SO glad that I did, because they are amazing. All the classic flavors of sugar cookies, but without all the hassle of chilling, rolling out, cutting, and chilling again of the dough before you even get to bake them! ANNNND it makes decorating THAT much easier.

Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup candy cane powder*
1/4 cup whole milk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375* F.

Line dark baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, set aside.

In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

With the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, cream the butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, then vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then add in candy cane powder.
Add in approximately 1/3 of flour mixture to cream mixture, and slowly combine. Add in 1/2 of the milk, and slowly combine. Repeat. Then add the last 1/3 of flour, and mix until just barely incorporated.

Scoop dough into one inch balls, I used a tablespoon-sized scoop, and place onto cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until edges are slightly golden brown. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

*It took approximately 14 mini-candy canes.. I just threw them into a food processor and pulsed them until it was mostly powder, there were still some slightly larger chunks of candy cane-those are good!