Description
These Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are perfect for any occasion. The cookies are tender and slightly tangy thanks to the sour cream, while the cream cheese frosting adds a rich, creamy sweetness. Easy to make and ideal for cut-out shapes like hearts and circles, these cookies are a delightful treat that balance soft texture with a deliciously smooth icing.
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
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift together baking soda, salt, baking powder, and flour. Set aside to ensure even distribution and to avoid lumps.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy, creating the base for tender cookies.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract for another 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and well combined, adding moisture and flavor.
- Incorporate Flour and Sour Cream: Add the sifted flour alternately with the sour cream in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour. This technique prevents overmixing and keeps the dough tender.
- Refrigerate Dough: Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours to allow flavors to meld and to firm up the dough for easier handling.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dough: Preheat oven to 375℉. Divide the chilled dough in half and roll out one portion at a time on a lightly floured surface to a ¼-inch thickness. Brush off any excess flour to prevent a gritty texture.
- Cut Out Cookies: Use lightly floured cookie cutters without intricate details (hearts or circles recommended) to cut out shapes, as the dough is soft and may not hold complex shapes well.
- Arrange Cookies on Baking Sheet: Place cut cookies carefully on a parchment-lined baking sheet. No need to grease the sheet as the cookies won’t stick.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden, indicating they are cooked through but still soft.
- Cool Cookies: Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Cream Cheese Icing: In a large bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, creating the base for the icing.
- Add Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until the frosting is smooth and well blended. Add food coloring if desired at this point.
- Frost Cookies: Ice the cooled cookies using a thin metal spatula or pipe the frosting on with a bag fitted with a star tip. Decorate with sprinkles or sparkling sugars if desired.
Notes
- The dough is soft and may be difficult to cut with intricate cookie cutters; simple shapes like circles and hearts work best.
- Refrigerate the dough overnight for optimal texture and easier handling.
- You can add food coloring to the cream cheese icing if you want colorful cookies.
- No need to grease baking sheets if using parchment paper since cookies do not stick.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent the icing from melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
