Description
These addicting mini sugar cookies boast a tender, soft texture achieved by combining butter and oil in the dough. Rolled in sugar and delicately flattened before baking, they develop a delightful crisp edge while staying soft inside. Perfectly sweet with vanilla and almond extracts, they are quick to prepare and bake, making them an irresistible treat for cookie lovers.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
- ½ cup (115g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (108g) canola or vegetable oil
- 1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg
Dry Ingredients
- 2⅓ cups (291g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Coating and Topping
- ¾ cup (173g) granulated sugar, divided (½ cup for rolling and ¼ cup reserved for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until well combined. Add the canola or vegetable oil and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Next, add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this point, which is normal.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt to ensure even distribution.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary to form a smooth dough.
- Prepare Sugar for Coating: Set aside ¼ cup of the granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of the baked cookies. Place the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar into a wide, flat container suitable for tossing the dough balls.
- Shape and Coat Dough Balls: Using a cookie scoop or two small spoons, scoop the dough into 2-teaspoon portions. Drop the dough balls into the sugar container in batches of 8-10, then gently shake or use your fingers to evenly coat them with sugar.
- Arrange and Flatten Dough Balls: Place the coated dough balls a couple of inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, roughly 30 balls per sheet. Flatten each dough ball using a cookie stamp or the bottom of a glass to create even cookies.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes, or until they have puffed up and just begun to set around the edges. They will crisp more as they cool.
- Finish and Cool: Immediately after removing the baking sheets from the oven, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the reserved ¼ cup sugar. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Dough: This dough is quite soft due to the blend of butter and oil. Using a cookie scoop or two small spoons works best for portioning. Rolling the dough in sugar also helps manage the softness.
- Assembly: Bake one full pan at a time. While one pan bakes, prepare the next batch. It usually takes about 40 minutes and three baking sheets to make 90-100 cookies.
- Baking Pans: Cool baking sheets completely between batches to prevent dough from melting on hot pans. If you only have one or two sheets, bake in batches accordingly.
- Storage: Store cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze up to 2 months. They freeze exceptionally well.
