Baking sugar cookies is a tradition that lives on all over the globe. Those star-shaped, tree-shaped, colourful cookies with a tempting frosting on top are classic. Baking them is also a nice way to spend some quality time with family or release your stress. It’s also a beautiful way of expressing feelings we often cannot through words.

Be it Christmas or just another evening when you want something sweet, it’s a great idea to have a recipe for sugar cookies around (drooling already?). We have prepared one, just for you. We bet you’ll lick your fingers clean after eating just one!

How Can We Make the Recipe Healthier?

Anything with ‘sugar’ might make the health-conscious flinch. But how do you make your sugar healthy? By baking them into sugar cookies using these tips:

• Use healthy gluten-free or whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
• Use natural sugars or unrefined brown sugar. You can also reduce the quantity of sugar used.
• Always prefer premium, fresh ingredients that are organic.

The Delicious Recipe

Preparation Time: 60-75 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Serving Size: 20-24 sugar cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 large egg (or egg substitutes like applesauce, flaxseed + water, mashed banana, yoghurt + baking soda, etc.)
• 2 cups gluten-free flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
• 1 tablespoon milk or water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or any other extract of your choice)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

1. Whisk the butter and sugar together.

2. In this mixture, add the extract of your choice, egg or egg substitute, salt, cinnamon, milk, or water. Blend well with a beater.

3. Cover it and refrigerate it for about 60 minutes.

4. Take a baking tray and line it well with parchment paper.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C.

6. Roll out the dough. If you are not using cookie cutters, make small balls of dough and then flatten them.

7. If rolling, cut out the desired shapes with cookie cutters.

8. Place the shaped dough on the baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

9. Let the cookies cool completely before you start on the icing and decorations. Store in a cookie jar and indulge yourself!

Nutrition Facts (in 20 cookies)

Please note: The nutrition facts change every time you change an ingredient in the above recipe. The blow mentioned values are approximate.

Source

What’s the Best Frosting for Sugar Cookies?

Frosting or icing makes them look attractive. You can get creative with it. The best frosting for sugar cookies is simply made with the following ingredients. Your favourite extract will make it the best frosting for you.

• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 1/12 cup powdered sugar
• 2.5 tablespoon of water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla/almond/lemon/orange/maple/coconut extract
• Food colouring of your choice
• Pinch of salt

Whisk these ingredients together and add food colouring at the end. If you are using different colours, use different bowls. Pour it over the cookies, let it set in the refrigerator for 24 hours, and that’s all!

Sugar Love

A recipe for sugar cookies is a recipe for happiness. Now you know how to woo your tastebuds with the perfect sugar cookies that also befriend health. You might not get the recipe right in the first go, but with practice, you’ll be a pro. Get baking today! You deserve a little treat.

You can also try baking almond sugar cookies, coconut sugar cookies, or add anything else you feel like to these yummy wonders.

Soft. Sweet. Perfect. Sugar cookies are pieces of heaven. Dig in!