Description
Homemade Lofthouse Cookies are soft, tender sugar cookies with a light, fluffy texture and a creamy vanilla frosting. These no almond extract cookies feature a perfect balance of buttery dough and sweet, colorful frosting that makes them ideal for celebrations or just indulging a sweet tooth. This recipe includes detailed steps for making the dough, chilling it, baking the cookies, and finishing with a smooth vanilla frosting and sprinkles for decoration.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp table salt
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- Food coloring (optional, e.g., red)
- Sprinkles (for decorating)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, cream the 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then add the large egg, egg yolk, sour cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat everything until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Make the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This helps the dough firm up for easier handling and better cookie texture.
- Scoop and Bake: Using about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until the cookies are set and the tops look matte but the edges do not brown.
- Flatten Tops: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, gently flatten the tops with the clean bottom of a measuring cup while they are still warm. This creates the characteristic soft surface for frosting.
- Cool Completely: Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack to set before applying frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, beating continuously until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Add Food Coloring: If desired, mix in food coloring to tint the frosting to your favorite shade.
- Decorate: Spread frosting over the cooled cookies and top with sprinkles for a festive finish.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is important to prevent spreading and achieve the soft texture typical of Lofthouse cookies.
- Do not overbake; cookies should look matte and not browned on the edges for the best texture.
- The frosting consistency can be adjusted by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or a teaspoon of milk if too thick.
- For best decorating results, allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
- Use a clean bottom of a measuring cup to gently flatten cookie tops right after baking to ensure smooth frosting surface.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
