Description
This Lofthouse Cookies recipe offers soft, fluffy sugar cookies topped with a creamy, smooth frosting. Perfectly sweet and mildly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, these classic cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate with sprinkles and food coloring.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended)
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk for thinning
- Food coloring and/or sprinkles (optional; used for decorating)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and light in color.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (if using) to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Sift and Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together 3 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions, mixing well after each addition to form a dough.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into 2-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a roller, such as a mini roller, to flatten the balls to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. The cookies will not brown when done. Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- Make Frosting: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, cream together 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (if using) until smooth.
- Add Sugar and Milk: Gradually add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and food coloring if desired. Beat the frosting until it is fluffy and smooth.
- Decorate Cookies: Spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies immediately and sprinkle with sprinkles as desired to decorate.
Notes
- Use parchment paper or a Silpat liner to prevent cookies from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Do not overbake the cookies; they should not brown and will appear slightly underdone when taken out of the oven.
- The almond extract in both dough and frosting is optional but adds a delightful flavor; peppermint or other extracts can be substituted if preferred.
- Make sure cookies are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- For thicker frosting, reduce the milk slightly or add more confectioners’ sugar as needed.
- Sprinkles and food coloring can be customized to match any occasion or holiday.
- Recipe yields approximately 24 cookies depending on size.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
