Big Soft Amish Sugar Cookies
After about a month of baking holiday cookies, the last thing I thought I wanted to eat was another… But, alas, being pregnant in the winter means craving after craving of warm comfort foods, including pillowy soft sugar cookies and a mug of cocoa in the evenings. I wanted something that was chewy and sweet without being overly sugary. These cookies remain perfectly soft and are mild enough to be dunked into your next cup of tea or coffee. I have always considered Amish style baked goods to be known for their velvety texture, but they tend to be very bland. This is often due to the addition of lard, as butter is a much more flavorful fat. The combination of the two allows this cookie to be both tasteful and soft!
ingredients & recipe:
MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN COOKIES:
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 cup lard, softened OR 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
5 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 375° F.
In the bowl of standing electric mixer fixed with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the lard or oil, granulated sugar, and confectioner’s sugar. Continue to cream together until almost white and very fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add the eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking soda, cream of tartar, and flour. Slowly begin to incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, until a nice dough is formed.
Scoop 1 tbsp size balls of cookie dough. In a small dish, pour the 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Roll the cookie dough balls gently in sugar before placing onto the ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges and soft in the center. Leave cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
My family had no problem gobbling these sugar cookies right up as I pulled them out of the oven. I love watching my (current) youngest, Dean, hold a giant cookie in his chubby baby fingers. It’s so precious; a memory I hope that I never forget.
We are all hunkered inside for the next several days, as temperatures dip into the negative twenties where we live. I have not been outside much, save for a trip to the shops or to check on the chickens in their wintery coop or to set a bowl of leftover soup stuff by the door for the barn kitties. How is the weather where you are? I hope that it warms up a bit and we get some more snow to play in!
xoxo Kayla
