There is something special about a handwritten family recipe, especially when it is one that has been made and shared for years. Moms sugar cookies are exactly that kind of recipe: simple, familiar, and made from ingredients that are probably already sitting in the pantry. The original handwritten recipe, titled “Amazing Sugar Cookies,” keeps everything wonderfully straightforward, from the short ingredient list to the quick baking time.
These moms sugar cookies are the old-fashioned kind of cookie that does not need elaborate frosting, fillings, or decorations to be good. Butter and sugar give them their classic richness and sweetness, while vanilla adds that unmistakable homemade cookie aroma. Baking soda and baking powder work together to give the cookies a little lift so they are not overly dense.
Another reason this recipe is such a keeper is how easy the dough is to prepare. The dry ingredients are sifted together in one bowl, while softened butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla are creamed together in another. The dry mixture is then gradually blended into the wet ingredients until a soft cookie dough forms. There is no chilling time listed in Mom’s original recipe, so these can go from mixing bowl to oven surprisingly quickly.
Instead of rolling and cutting the dough, moms sugar cookies are shaped by rolling rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. That makes them especially convenient when you want a batch of homemade cookies without turning the kitchen into an afternoon-long baking project. The dough balls are placed about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, giving them enough room to spread while baking.
The cookies bake at 375°F for only 8 to 10 minutes, just until they begin to turn golden. Mom’s handwritten instructions also include an important finishing step: let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. The result is a wonderfully simple family sugar cookie—sweet, buttery, lightly vanilla-scented, and exactly the sort of recipe worth preserving and passing along.
Ingredients for Shopping
Ingredients in Order of Use
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1½ cups white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In a separate large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and roll them into balls.
- Arrange the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
Recipe Card
