Cracked Sugar Cookies
Rich and buttery Cracked Sugar Cookies get their name from the way the tops crack after baking. They are soft and chewy with a bit of a crisp exterior.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. butter (4 sticks) softened
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Optional
- 1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookie dough in
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease cookies sheets or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the yolks and vanilla.
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Sift the dry ingredients together, then add to the batter in 4 parts, mixing well after each addition. Add the last remaining cup 1/4 cup at a time until the dough will easily roll into a ball. If too much flour is added, the cookie will not flatten out while baking.
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Form dough into balls or use a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop to form cookies. Roll in the extra 1/2 cup sugar and place on prepared cookie sheets.
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Bake for approximately 10-13 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Makes 3 dozen cookies
Recipe Notes
These chewy soft sugar cookies can be baked perfectly the very first time they are made. I have found a few tricks to make that happen.
- Softened butter should still hold its shape but dent when pressed.
- Use unsalted butter. This recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking soda which will give the dough enough salty flavor.
- After adding sugar be sure to beat for 3-4 minutes. Don't rush this step.
- The biggest error one can make with this recipe is adding too much flour. Add flour in four parts. When adding the last part, I like to add it in 1/4 cup increments because I rarely use the full 5 cups of flour. That's why the recipe states 4 1/2 - 5 cups flour. We all measure flour differently. I like to stir the flour to lighten it up then gently spoon into the measuring cup and scrape off excess with a knife. Don't pack the flour into the measuring cup. If too much flour is used, the dough will not flatten out.
- Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough. This will make every cookie the same size and they will bake uniformly and look fabulous.
- Don't over bake the cookies. The cookies will mound up then flatten out near the end of baking time and will be slightly golden around the edges.