Description
These Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are tender, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion. The dough is enriched with sour cream, giving the cookies a moist and soft texture, while the cream cheese icing adds a rich, tangy sweetness. Ideal for shaping with simple cookie cutters like hearts and circles, these cookies are delightful treats that balance a classic sugar cookie taste with a creamy frosting finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Sugar Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Icing:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift together baking soda, salt, baking powder, and flour; set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together using an electric mixer, beating for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, continuing to mix for another 3 minutes until fully combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Sour Cream: Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix gently after each addition until just combined to form a soft dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight or for at least 8 hours to allow it to firm up and develop flavor.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dough: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out one portion of dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Brush off any excess flour from the surface of the dough.
- Cut Out Cookies: Using lightly floured cookie cutters (simple shapes like hearts or circles recommended), cut out shapes from the dough. Note that the dough is soft and will not hold highly detailed shapes well.
- Arrange and Bake: Carefully place the cut cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. There is no need to grease the baking sheet as the cookies will not stick. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookie edges begin to turn a light golden color.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Cream Cheese Icing: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until fully blended and smooth. Add food coloring if desired at this stage.
- Decorate Cookies: Spread the icing onto cooled cookies using a thin metal spatula or pipe the icing with a bag fitted with a star tip. Optionally, decorate with sprinkles, drageés, or sparkling sugars for added festive flair.
Notes
- This dough is quite soft and best suited for simple cookie cutter shapes without intricate details.
- Refrigerating the dough overnight enhances flavor and makes it easier to handle.
- Cookies should be removed from the oven as soon as the edges start to turn golden for the softest texture.
- Use softened butter and cream cheese for the icing to ensure smooth consistency.
- Additional flavorings or food colorings can be added to the icing to customize the cookies for holidays or special occasions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
