Almost everybody likes sweetmeats. They are tasty and delicious plus give you lots of energy. From children to grandparents, all love to munch on some sweet cookies during tea time or breakfast. However, you always prefer buying those cookies or biscuits from the market. But this time, why don’t you go for preparing all that at your home? You get various flavors and shapes in cookies but the fun of baking them at home is something different. Let us learn an exciting recipe of making sugar cookies that is very quick to prepare and requires ingredients that are easily available in every house. Read on.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 25 minutes
Resources Required:
- 2 3/4 cups of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract
- 2 large bowls
- Wire rack stands
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven
Before you start making sugar cookies, you have to preheat the oven to 190 degree Celsius or 375 degree Fahrenheit. The oven needs to be hot before the cookie mixture is put into it. This allows the cookies to start cooking from the very first second inside the oven.
2. Mixing the flour
The first step is to mix the dry ingredients first. Take a large bowl and take the flour in it. Now, mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Mix this well with a spatula and keep it aside.
3. Mixing the sugar
Take another bowl and add the softened butter to it. Put white sugar in it and blend well with a wooden spatula. Blend well till this mixture turns creamy and soft. The sugar should melt by now. Now beat the egg and vanilla essence in another cup and add to this mixture. Blend this well by folding it slowly. Do not rush. Mix well.
4. The final mixture
The final step in mixing is putting the flour mixture to the sugar mixture but slowly and in parts. Fold the flour well with one hand while put in the dry flour with the other hand. Mix the entire mixture well.
5. Baking
Take cookie baking sheets and place them in an oven tray. Now take teaspoon of dough and round them into balls. Place these balls at small intervals from each other on the cookie sheet. Now, place the cookie tray in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes or till you see a golden brown color on them. Let the cookies remain in the oven on the sheet even after the oven switches off for about 2-3 minutes. Remove and let them cool on wire racks.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is pre-heating the oven essential?
Preheating the oven is an essential part of recipe as it would allow the cookies to bake from the moment they have been put inside the oven. This way, they would not remain uncooked inside.
2. Does the egg need to be beaten before adding to the mixture?
Yes, the egg needs to be slightly beaten so that the yolk and the white part mix well. This process also gives a light weight to the cookies and makes them more fluffy.
3. Can nuts be added to these cookies?
Yes, you can add nuts and cashews or chopped almonds to make more rich flavored cookies. If you don’t like them inside the cookies decorate the cookie by placing a slit almond on the top before placing the cookie tray inside the oven. When the cookies bake the almond will sink in a little and get affixed to the cookie. You can remove it and eat it before you eat the cookie.
Quick Tips:
- For an even baking, rotate the cookie trays by switching the upper one with the lower inside the oven after half the time.
- Glaze the dough with butter using a cooking brush before placing it inside the oven to get a glazed look to the cookies.
- You can add chocolate essence or extract to the mixture to get chocolate flavored cookies.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Do not forget to wear gloves while placing the cookie tray inside the pre-heated oven.
- Do not eat the cookies before they have cooled down completely.
