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Basic Sugar Cookie Dough
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine flour and cornstarch; set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Continue as directed in "Variations" recipes (see below).
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Make Ahead Tip:
To store the cookie dough, pack it into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Take frozen cookie dough from the freezer a day before using and thaw in the refrigerator.
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Storage:
Storing Baked Cookies:
Place plain unfrosted and unfilled cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Frost or till as directed before serving.
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Variation:
Use this dough as a base for several cookies, including Brown Sugar Thumbprints, Chocolate Drizzled Crescents, Holiday Sugar Cookie Cutouts, Layered Coconut Dream Bars, Rosemary & Lemon Ribbons and Shining Star Sandwich Cookies (all in Recipe Center). Read both this recipe and the variation recipe before making your cookie choice. In some cases you'll substitute ingredients. For a plain sugar cookie, follow the instructions in Holiday Sugar Cookie Cutouts.
A note from Midwest Living: These were re-baked to check the recipe again (we did the Basic Cookie Dough and Layered Coconut Dream Bars), and they were delicious! A couple of tips: Make sure you use cornstarch, not something like baking soda (which would, indeed, make the recipe taste awful!); check for proper amounts of other ingredients -- ie, 3 oz cream cheese, not 8; 1 stick butter, not 1 cup; sweetened condensed milk (if you're making the Coconut Dream Bars), not evaporated milk; etc.
1/5/2010 09:13:07 AM Report AbuseI made 2 doughs, and the basic cookie is still chilling. The cocnut dream bars, my husband would not finish his portion. We have always bought this in a preboxed mix at over $6 from the store chain. Will not make from scratch with this recipe again. I took the variation for Brown Sugar thumb prints, taste is dry and they crumble.
12/13/2009 10:25:59 AM Report AbuseI made the Coconut Dream Bars and they were delicious! The cookie dough base was slightly crumbly, but tender. Everyone who ate them wanted the recipe. I have no idea how the basic cookie recipe turns out for anything besides the coconut bars, since I didn't try any of the other variations.
12/11/2009 11:57:33 AM Report AbuseI agree wholeheartedly with anonymous! I had the same experience with this recipe & I too wondered about the cornstarch as well as the cream cheese. Something is horribly wrong & I too spent a lot of money on ingredients to make the Layered Coconut Dream Bars - and would like a reply & reimbursement (how about a free year's subscription!). Wish I had read anonymous' input before wasting my time and money.
11/27/2009 03:37:02 PM Report AbuseEnjoyed the soft sugar cookies. My family liked the plain ones the best. They reminded me of my Grandmother's recipe that I had been searching for. Thanks!
11/23/2009 01:37:19 PM Report Abuse