These homemade Swig Sugar Cookies are a delightful twist on traditional sugar cookies. With a unique combination of baking soda and cream of tartar, these cookies have a soft, chewy, and thick texture. Plus, they're topped with a generous layer of frosting, making them the best treat!
PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large dark-colored sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner. (If using a light-colored sheet pan, plan to add 2-4 minutes onto the baking time).
WETINGREDIENTS: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl and an electric hand mixer), cream the butter, 2/3 cup white sugar, and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, almond or coconut extract (if using), and vegetable oil. Beat at medium speed, scraping down sides as needed, until very creamy and silky-smooth looking.
DRY INGREDIENTS: Finally, add the baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and flour right on top. Beat on low until integrated and then increase the speed and beat until a smooth dough is formed. Don't over-beat/over-mix.
ROLL BALLS: Roll even-sized dough balls (2 very tightly packed tablespoons or 40 grams each). Add the remaining ½ cup white sugar to a small bowl. Roll balls into the sugar and place generously spaced apart on lined baking sheet. (I only bake 6 at a time.) Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and then press into the cookie, until the edges crack a bit. (If dough is warm or feels overly soft/gooey, pop the tray of cookie dough in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking--insurance from spreading in case your kitchen is overly warm or butter was too softened!)
BAKE: Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies won't brown and should look almost undercooked, but if you use a metal spatula to gently lift a cookie, the bottom should be slightly golden and not look wet at all. Right out of the oven, you may need to gently press the cup into the tops of the cookies again if they puffed up too much. (Don't press down too hard, though.) Let cookies stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting -- cookies are fragile! Repeat with the remaining dough until all the cookies are baked.
FROSTING: While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 4½ cups powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and mix on low speed to avoid a mess. Gradually pour in 1 tablespoon of cream at a time (start with just 4 tablespoons) and mix on medium-high speed until ingredients are integrated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Once integrated, add food coloring (if using) and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Taste, and adjust as desired. (Add more cream if needed for consistency. If the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar.) If the frosting is soft, chill for 10-15 minutes before frosting cookies.
FROST COOKIES: Gently frost completely cooled cookies using a table knife or off-set spatula. The frosting layer should be nice and thick! That said, you'll likely have about 1 cup of extra frosting. Chef's treat, right? :) (Or...use leftover frosting on pancakes/waffles, a small batch of cupcakes, etc.) Cover cookies tightly and store them at room temperature. They're best eaten within 2-3 days. Freeze leftover cookie dough pucks instead of baked cookies! See the blog post section labeled "Storage" for more info.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Food scale: A food scale is an invaluable tool that can ensure precise measurements. If you have a food scale, use it instead of measuring cups for the most accurate measurements. Toggle over to the "Metric" measurement on the recipe card and use the grams listed. Accurately measuring flour with a kitchen scale is one of the best ways to ensure consistent results in baking. Plus it's helpful to measure cookie dough balls to ensure evenly sized cookies (which means evenly baked cookies!)Note 2: Butter: For both the cookies and the frosting it's important to use room-temperature butter, as it will cream better with the sugar. This gives a smoother texture. Butter should be at room temperature, not melted or soft/greasy. If it's too cold, dough won't cream and too warm and cookies will be greasy/spread.