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husseysands

Soft Sugar Cookies

These soft sugar cookies use cream cheese and cornstarch for a pillow-thick crumb that stays tender for days — the bakery-style result most home recipes never quite achieve.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
11 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 31 minutes
Servings: 24
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 185
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 225 g 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 115 g 4 oz full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature
  • 300 g 1½ cups white granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp pure almond extract
  • 360 g 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt

Method
 

  1. Beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute. Add sugar and beat on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  2. Add eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each. Add vanilla and almond extract; mix until smooth.
  3. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture in two additions, folding on low just until no flour streaks remain.
  4. Divide into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour minimum.
  5. Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Roll one disc to ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets 4cm apart. Optionally chill cut shapes 10 minutes for sharpest edges.
  6. Bake 9 to 11 minutes — edges just set, centers still slightly shiny. Do not wait for color on top.
  7. Cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting — at least 30 minutes.

Notes

Use full-fat block cream cheese, not spreadable — tub cream cheese has too much water.
• Both butter and cream cheese must be true room temperature before mixing.
• Re-roll scraps a maximum of two times — more working toughens the dough.
• Cookies will look underdone coming out of the oven — this is correct. They finish on the pan.
• Store in an airtight container within 30 minutes of cooling to preserve softness.
Cal: ~185Fat: 10gCarbs: 23gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g