Fall Festive Soft Sugar Cookies
Soft, fluffy and full of vanilla flavor, these festive sugar cookies are nostalgic and loved by all.
You know those cookies at the grocery store, the ones that are thick and fluffy with the colorful icing on top? The child in me loves them, but any time I turn over the packaging and see what’s actually inside, I quickly put them down and move aside. These cookies are meant to be a copycat version, but with clean ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and even have an element of being gut healthy using my absolute favorite, Lifeway Kefir. In this recipe there aren’t any preservatives or chemicals, just simple ingredients that come together to make one delicious dessert.
Equipment Needed
Most of my recipes say that either a hand or stand mixer can be used, but for this recipe I prefer a handheld mixer. I found using a handheld mixer the cookies had the fluffiest texture and achieved the biggest rise, giving them that nice thick appearance. You’ll also need a spatula, measuring cups, and a quality cookie tray. I highly recommend Nordic Ware for quality bakeware. With the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect item to add to your wish list.
Tips and Tricks
1.) Beat together the butter and sugar for several minutes allowing the batter to get light and fluffy.
2.) Using room temperature butter is a must, and while room temperature ingredients like eggs and kefir are optional, they make the cookies even better allowing for proper emulsification of ingredients.
3.) I highly recommend using a cookie scoop to make dough balls. This will ensure the cookies are evenly baked, avoiding the problem of some being over baked while others being underdone.
4.) Make sure to freeze the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. The cookies will spread too much otherwise. The cooling period is pivotal to success.
5.) Don’t decorate the cookies until they have fully cooled. Decorating a hot cookie will melt the icing.
Final Tip
Feel free to get creative with the icing. The cookies can be decorated with a more of a “glaze” using melted butter, powdered sugar and milk, or they can be topped with traditional American Buttercream (as listed in the recipe), which consists of softened butter, powdered sugar and milk. The texture is different with these two techniques and is a matter of preference. You can also make it extra simple and use a store bought buttercream.
Fall Festive Soft Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Plain Organic Lifeway Kefir
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
- orange food color gel
- 1/4 cup pretzel twists
Instructions
- Into a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for two minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, kefir, and vanilla and mix until combined, about 15 to 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon sized cookie balls, lining them in a row on a cookie tray. Once scooped place the cookie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chilled dough balls onto a cookie sheet spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes, turning the tray halfway through and then baking another 7 minutes. Allow the cookies to sit on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Into a large bowl, and using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until fluffy, about minute. Adding 1 cup at a time, add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add in the heavy cream and mix until combined. At this point, add a pinch of salt if desired. If the consistency is too thick, add a small amount of cream, or if too thin, more powdered sugar can be added.
- To decorate the cookies like pumpkins, add orange food color gel into the bowl and mix until desired color is achieved. Using a large star piping tip, pipe lines onto the cookie. Add a piece of pretzel to the top to make a stem.
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