oh sugar sugar

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe that I got years ago from a favorite blogger who no longer blogs (come back Kelly!). If you ask me, sugar cookies should be soft (NOT crispy) and these have the special secret ingredient of orange peel in them. They are soooooo good! I promise you'll like them.


2/3 cup salted butter, softened3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
4 teaspoons milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cream together butter and sugar. Add orange peel and vanilla and cream. Beat in the egg until pale and fluffy. Stir in the milk and then add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until fully combined (bowl should be clean). Wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Chill for 1 hour or until cold.

On a well-floured sugar, roll dough (I like to turn mine over a couple of times to coat with flour) out to about 1/2". Cut into shapes and bake on a greased cookie sheet (or on a Silpat) at 375 for 6-7* minutes (they will look uncooked. Cool for 3 minutes on baking sheet and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting and decorate as you will!

*Cooking time may depend on the size of your cookie shape (I found these small hearts took about 6 minutes). What you're looking for is all the raw parts gone but no brown around the edges.