The Ultimate Sugar Cookie
Also, some unsweetened condensed thoughts on the news, a dog delay and a cats revival.
I am merely a humble cookie farmer, but the developments in Iran over the past few days have me a tad confused.
(Don’t care to relive the past few days of news? Skip to wear it says “cookies” in big bold letters. Also, if you can click the “like” button, I would be most obliged.)
The president said a settlement with Iran was "largely negotiated.” Sure there were a few little (gaping) holes with stuff like Iran's nuclear program, but hey!
This stellar, better-than-any-in-the-history-of-the-world-”groundbreaking” agreement would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He noted that specific details regarding this best-in-class arrangement would be announced soon. Yay!
The skittish fawns that run our financial markets saw the above as decent enough progress towards a peace deal that global oil prices fell!
And, this morning the U.S. Central Command carried out “defensive strikes” against alleged Iranian missile launch sites and boats attempting to place mines…
Please don’t laugh and point at me. I never really thought there was an imminent settlement.
But, HEY! YOU KNOW WHAT I DO KNOW ABOUT?
COOKIES.
I had a craving for an old-fashioned soft sugar cookie, and after rambling amongst various recipe iterations, I tried sweetened condensed milk in place of eggs.
Look no further. The milk sugars and proteins help prevent gluten formation, so the cookie stays tender and yielding, and the center pleasantly dense. (Like me!) It adds caramel-notes, which are boosted by a small amount brown sugar and vanilla in the recipe.
I add some whole-wheat flour to tame sweetness, along with a small amount of natural lemon extract. Not lemon juice, not lemon zest, but lemon extract—which can be found perched next to the vanilla extract at the grocery—and adds a subtle quality that makes these cookies … I know my job is to turn tastes into words, but here I’m at a loss, and can only think of words like warmth, elegant hominess, or the even less descriptive, very British: “more-ish.” As in, you’ll just want to eat more of them.
They are a versatile cookie, and expect to see them again at Christmas time, as the cookbook author and Bon Appetit food writer Rebecca Firkser suggested to me they would make a great base for a million different flavors of cookie. She is right, of course.
My favorite topping is rainbow sprinkles, but cinnamon-sugar, mini chocolate chips, plain white sugar, crunchy Demerara sugar, chai-spiced sugar, or just a big fat square of Heath Bar stuck in the middle all make scrummy options. And, you can leave them plain.
I make these in two different sizes: a petite 2” cookie and a more-fun 3” size. You can roll them whatever size you wish, just give them a smoosh with your hand to make them 1” in thickness so they cook evenly.
This is another “smaller” recipe and makes about 20 2” cookies
Ultimate Sugar Cookies
What You’ll Need:
2/3 cup (80 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (80 grams whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (113 grams) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons (25 grams) brown sugar
1/2 cup (153 grams) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
For topping the cookies: sprinkles, cinnamon-sugar, mini chocolate chips, etc.
What You’ll Do:
In a small bowl, whisk together the white and wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a stand-mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the condensed milk, vanilla and lemon extracts and mix on medium speed (scraping down the sides of the bowl) until well-blended. Stir in the flour mixture. Refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls for 2-inch (5 cm) cookies, or, well, larger balls for larger cookies. Smoosh the balls with the flat of your hand to make them about 1” (2.5 cm) thick. Cover in the topping of your choice. Trick: Rather than sprinkling the topping over, press the cookie ball into the sprinkles/sugar, etc.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the top is set (you should be able to touch it and your finger will not sink), and the edges are ever-so golden. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then further on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.
This weekend: Aside from scratching my head over American foreign policy this weekend, I saw “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” on Broadway. For all of you who point and make fun of the original musical, take a deep breath. This was exactly what “Cats” should’ve been initially. It’s the perfect incarnation. And I’ve never been in a theater with more energy (actors and crowd). As Jellicle Ball it celebrates Ballroom culture (as in “Paris is Burning,” not waltz, etc.), so the whole musical has, finally, some purpose. Also, the Saturday night audience I was with were utterly invested in the story and on their feet and snapping their fans whenever encouraged by the actors.
I also planted 14,000 dahlias and 32 million ostrich ferns in the pouring rain.
You? Tell me all below:
Interested in buying a box of 20, or maybe a thousand copies of my cookbook? Maybe just one copy? That would be great, too. You can, here
‘a humble cookie farmer’…love that! I don’t think there’s any possible way to comprehend what’s going on out there so much better to bake. Definitely making there sugar cookies.
I was looking forward to this recipe but alas - lactose and I do not get along. A flashback to a potluck - one woman was trying to get me to have a piece of her cheesecake and when I told her I can't do lactose she assured me it was okay because it was sweetened condensed (she paused, her shoulders fell) milk.