Essential Recipe No 2 Sugar Cookies

THE ESSENTIAL CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°; lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• In a big bowl, beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, nutmeg (if using), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and egg together.
• Stir in the flour.
• Add coarse sugar to a shallow dish; drop the dough by the tablespoonful into the sugar, rolling the balls to coat them.
• Place them on prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely beginning to brown; they will look soft.
• If you bake the cookies too long, they'll be crunchy, not chewy.
• Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

BASIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes, or place in a resealable plastic bag, and freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator overnight).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. Remove one dough disk; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out 1/8 inch thick between two sheets of floured parchment, dusting dough with flour as needed. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. (If dough gets soft, chill 10 minutes.) Reroll scraps; cut shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 10 to 18 minutes (depending on size). Cool completely on wire racks. To ice cookies, spread with the back of a spoon. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes. Decorate as desired.
• For the icing, sift confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in milk, water, or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, whisk in more sugar; if too thick, add more liquid. Spread over cookies with back of a spoon. Add other decorations, if desired. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes.