sugar cookies

My high school cafeteria used to sell sugar cookies that made me and all my friends swoon. They were just as sugar cookies should be: soft and chewy, with a glistening, cracked top. I had never tried to replicate them in all these years, but, when I saw a recipe on marthastewart.com that looked promising, I couldn’t help myself.

I made a few minor adjustments to the recipe, including the substitution of half of the all-purpose flour with bread flour, to increase the cookie’s chewiness. Before being baked, the cookies received a double-coating of sugar, which accounts for its crisp, sweet exterior. The recipe also stated that they should be flattened slightly. (I flattened the cookies prior to baking, as the recipe suggests, and the cookies turned out fairly thin. Next time, I plan on baking at least a few cookies without flattening them, to see if it results in a thicker cookie. I will update, in any case.)

Right from the oven, the cookies were both soft and chewy. A few hours later, they lost some of their softness, but retained a good deal of their chewiness. If ultimate softness is desired, I recommend placing the cooled cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread; the moisture from the bread will be absorbed by the cookies, and they will regain their straight-from-the-oven softness. Or, you can pop them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to achieve a similar effect.

A warning: These cookies spread a lot when baking. A rounded tablespoon of dough yielded a cookie with a diameter of roughly 3 inches.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Adapted from marthastewart.com

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. bread flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 c. packed light-brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flours, backing soda, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Put sugars and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 30 seconds. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed; gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

Using a small scoop (about 1 tablespoon), form dough into balls. Roll dough in granulated sugar, and place 2 inches apart on Silpat-lined baking sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with the bottom of a glass. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of each cookie.

Bake cookies, until light golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

UPDATE 11/26/09: Just made the sugar cookies with 1 1/2 tbs. of dough, without flattening. The cookies definitely have some added height.