Sugar Cookie - Keeping its shape

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

seeds from 1 vanilla bean OR 3 tsp. vanilla

5 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Recipe:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer on low to medium speed, use the paddle attachment. Mix until thoroughly incorporated - for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula and mix again for a few seconds more. (Over mixing the butter and sugar in this step will cause too much air to be incorporated into the dough. If you'd like a light and fluffy cookie, that's ideal, however the dough will spread more during baking: not ideal if you'd like the cookie to hold its shape.

2. Add eggs slowly and mix. Scrape down the bowl with your spatula at least once and mix again.

3. Cut open your vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out. Add to mixing bowl. Alternatively, add liquid vanilla extract. Stir briefly.

4. Sift your dry ingredients together. 

5. Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. When the dough clumps around the paddle it's ready. It's also important at this stage not to over mix the dough.

6. Roll the dough out between 2 large pieces of parchment paper. Place on a baking sheet and into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

7. Roll out the dough further if you need to, and cut out cookie shapes. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat.

8. Put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for 10 minutes to 1 hour to chill again. They will hold their shape better when baked.

9. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

10. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown. The baking time will depend on the size of your cookie.

11. Let cookies cool to room temperature and decorate!

Rating: 4 of 5

These cookies were great. I really liked the flavor - don't ask how many I ate. And they really do hold their shape pretty well! Ally and I had a blast decorating these for one of her friend's birthday. As much as I like this recipe, I do have a love-hate relationship with sugar cookies because of the in-and-out-of-the-fridge  process that happens.

Source: Sweetopia, Sugar Cookies