Gather ‘round the virtual countertop ’cause today we’re making perfectly crisp sugar cookies. We’re cranking out these beauties with just a humble cookie scoop, and we’re shunning all those ‘chill-dough-for-an-eternity’ rules.
No Cookie Cutters Needed
Alright, crispy cookie lovers! Let’s fist-bump to the fact that no cookie cutters are needed for this fabulous recipe.
The beauty of these cookies lies in their simplicity. We’re talking about a recipe that is so easy, even my left foot could probably pull it off. No complicated shapes, no fancy tools; just you, your mixing bowl, and the fundamental knowledge of how to drop scoops of dough onto a baking sheet.
All I’m trying to say is perfectly crisp sugar cookies don’t need to be complicated, y’know? They just need to be delicious, crispy, and indulgent. So, we’re gonna trade in those pesky cookie cutters for some good old-fashioned scoop-drop action.
No-Chill Cookie Dough
The pièce de résistance, ladies and gentlemen, is that this is a no-chill cookie dough recipe. Forget those recipes that require a night-long chill or, heavens forbid, a 24-hour wait (ugh). Cream the butter and sugar, whip in that egg like a friggin’ boss, add the dry ingredients and it’s time to bake! No more agonizing hours waiting for your wickedly delicious dough to chill. The real deal, as promised, no gimmicks.
This dough is perfectly scoopable without the need for refrigeration.
Use these photos as reference!
Enjoy!
Perfectly Crisp Drop Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (228g) unsalted butter, softened (read notes below for salted butter)
- 1 1/2 cups (312g) granulated/caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract/essence (best quality you can afford)
- 2 3/4 cups (353g) all-purpose/plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons (5g) fine sea salt
- Granulated/caster sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) standard.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes using a hand mixer).1 cup (228g) unsalted butter, softened (read notes below for salted butter), 1 1/2 cups (312g) granulated/caster sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract/essence (best quality you can afford)
- In a separate medium-large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt.2 3/4 cups (353g) all-purpose/plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons (5g) fine sea salt
- Mix with a spoon until fully combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix until almost fully incorporated.
- Add the other half and mix until no dry streaks of flour remain and a dough is formed.
- Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (size #40 / 1.5 - 2 tbsp balls), scoop 12 balls of dough onto each baking sheet.
- Place some granulated/caster sugar in a small bowl.
- Coat each ball of dough in sugar then place them back onto the baking sheet, placed evenly apart.
- Flatten each dough ball with your fingers, less than 1.5 cm thick (simply use photos above as reference).
- Bake for 10 minutes until the edges are semi-firm to the touch; basically they should feel baked just around the edges. Note: If your cookies look dull and the edges are super soft, they are under-baked.
- Cool on sheet 5 mins then transfer to a cooling rack for 10 - 15 mins until cool enough to be handled without falling apart.
Notes
When stored correctly, they soften overtime but still taste delicious!
They last for up to 2 days but are best eaten the day of.
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The Sweet Science: Understanding the Role of Sugar in Crispness
Hold on, let me put on my mad scientist cap (it’s a beanie, really), and break it down for you.
Sugar doesn’t just cater to our sweet tooth – it plays a critical role in making our cookies crisp. As the sugar melts in the oven, it forces the dough to spread. This helps create those thin, delightfully crisp edges we all know too well in not just sugar cookies, but biscuits and even cake! As the cookie cools post-baking, the sugar hardens again, helping maintain that snap-pop crispness.
The cookie dough enters the oven plump and soft, and then – BAM! – it also exits plump and soft. Haha, unfortunately they don’t come out of the oven all perfect and crisp, however, they quickly firm up on the baking sheet as they cool. It’s a sheer joy to behold. And to taste too.
These cookies aren’t just crisp…
Don’t think that when you bite into one of these cookies it’s going to be like biting into a potato chip. No one’s going to be able to hear you crunching from another room. No. Nothing like that.
They’re not just all crispy! They do have soft, bendable centers. And I really love that about these cookies because it provides a much needed texture contrast.
If you prefer a more soft and chewy sugar cookie, try this recipe right here.
