Description
This chilled sugar cookie recipe is soft, buttery, and topped with a luscious almond-flavored frosting. Easy to make and perfect for beginners, these cookies are a bakery-style treat that comes together in just 30 minutes and tastes even better served cool.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- For the frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pink gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and extracts: Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Sift in the flour, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar if using. Stir just until the dough forms; avoid overmixing to maintain a tender cookie.
- Shape the cookies: Scoop large dough balls (about ¼ cup each) onto your prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each to about ½ inch thick to ensure even baking.
- Bake and cool: Bake for 9–10 minutes. The edges should be set, and the centers will appear slightly underdone. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 15–20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add almond extract and enough heavy cream to reach a fluffy, spreadable consistency. Add a small amount of pink gel food coloring if desired.
- Frost and chill: Once cookies are completely cooled, generously frost the tops. For the full experience, chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to use room-temperature ingredients for the smoothest dough and frosting.
- If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can skip it without affecting the final texture.
- Feel free to scale up the recipe for parties or use smaller cookie scoops for bite-sized versions.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 256mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 63mg