Sugar Cookies

So I’ve just agreed to bake a wedding cake. I’ve been given the go-ahead (and the money!) to start, and what do I do? I decide to make cookies last night. In my defense, I’m not meeting with the bride-to-be until this weekend, so there’s not much I can do until I know exactly what sort of flavors she wants, final sizes, etc. So it made complete sense to just relax last night and make something simple and sweet that we could have with a glass of milk before bed.

The dough came together easily, even with the chilling time involved. A bit of the batter may have found its way into my mouth, and honestly? I was rather underwhelmed with the taste. They tasted like…any old sugar cookie. Where was the flavor of that Bailey’s Irish Cream? I was expecting something a little more exciting. And when they came out of the oven, I still wasn’t too impressed (although I was excited about the silver sanding sugar that I rolled them in…those cookies were sparkly!).

BUT! Once they cooled, I discovered that they had developed the most lovely crispy exterior, while the inside was super soft and moist. So if you’re looking for a solid, buttery, lovely sugar cookie, here you have it.

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Crispy Soft Sugar Cookies
Yield: 28-30 cookies

2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ - 1 tsp salt (original recipe called for ½ tsp, but I always think cookies are better with more salt)

1/2C white sugar
1/2C dark brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp bailey's irish cream

Makes around 28-30 cookies.

1. Preheat to 375, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter in the microwave until melted (alternatively you could do this in a saucepan on the stove, which would give you a more browned-butter flavor). Whisk in the sugars. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

4. Once butter-sugar mixture is cooled, add egg, vanilla and bailey's, and whisk thoroughly. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated, then chill until firm (I stuck mine in the fridge for 15 minutes or so).

5. Roll dough into 1 to 1-1/2” sized balls, roll them in decorative sugar (if desired), and place them 2” apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. These will spread quite a bit, so give them room!

6. Bake for about 11 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking time. Remove from oven when edges are a light golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack.