Hey there, fellow sweet tooth! I’m here with another cookie recipe that I know you’re going to dig, scoop, and bake. *ba dum tss*
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a fresh-out-of-the-box cookie rookie, trust me when I say, this cookie recipe will up your munching game. No, really! It’s hard to stop snacking on these cookies. They’re soft, chewy, and crisp too. For me they are the perfect size and they have just the right amount of sweetness.
Cookie cutters not required!
Don’t have cookie cutters? Or you just don’t feel like using them? FEAR NOT, cookie crusaders! My scoop and bake sugar cookie recipe is here. *superhero music* daaa da dum da dah dmmmmmm
(That’s a cape, by the way.)
While classic cut-out sugar cookies are great, these are not those! For this recipe, instead of cookie cutters, you’ll need a cookie scoop; size #40 to be exact.
These drop sugar cookies are a stress-free solution to any cookie-cutter crisis. Their name literally spells out their simplicity – just scoop up some dough, drop it on the baking sheet, and voila!
Scoop & Bake Sugar Cookies
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Equipment
- Size #40 Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sprinkles (more if preferred), plus more for the tops
Instructions
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt until fluffy.1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour and mix slowly until fully incorporated.1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Gently fold in the sprinkles3 tablespoons sprinkles (more if preferred), plus more for the tops
- Refrigerate the dough for 20 - 25 minutes until the dough is firm enough to hold its shape. (read notes below)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Line the baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Grab a size #40 cookie scoop (approximately 2-tablespoons of dough).
- Slightly overfilling the cookie scoop, form 8 balls of dough and place them on the baking sheet spaced evenly apart.
- Lightly dust your fingers in flour and flatten each dough ball just slightly.
- Top with more sprinkles.
- Bake for 9 minutes (softer cookie) or 10 minutes (chewier cookie) until edges are light brown and mostly firm to the touch.
- Cool on sheet 4 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
Notes
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Why is this scoop and bake business a game-changer?
Good question, my curious cookie connoisseur. Science, baby!
From a scientific perspective, the ‘scoop and bake’ method is a win-win. Let me explain. When you work your dough too much, your cookies become tough. It’s all about gluten – the protein found in flour. When you mix flour with a liquid (like eggs), it forms gluten. The more you mix, the more gluten you get, which results in a tougher texture. With the scoop and bake method, you’re cutting down on the amount of handling, keeping your cookies delightfully tender and scrumptious.
Speaking of Science…
Every single ingredient in this scoop and bake sugar cookies plays a role.
Sugar makes it sweet (obviously, right?) but it also guarantees tenderness and adds flavor too. Yes, white sugar has flavor.
The flour amount is something I had to play around with. I wanted cookies with structure but I also didn’t want them to be doughy. The amount in this recipe gives us a good balance of both.
As you can see, there is not much baking powder in this recipe so it may seem like it hardly does anything at all but when you see these cookies puffing up in the oven, that’s the baking powder at work! Don’t worry, the cookies don’t stay puffy. They flatten quickly as they cool on the baking sheet. The baking powder also contributes to those pleasantly crisp edges.
The egg is not just there for gluing everything together (though it is exceptional at that). Nope, there’s more! The egg adds moisture of course, aids in achieving that light golden-brown finish at the bottom of each cookie, and is even responsible for some of the flavor. Yeah, eggs are the superstars of the baking world for a reason.