Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with Glaze and Sprinkles Recipe
This Sour Cream Sugar Cookies recipe offers soft, tender rolled sugar cookies perfect for festive decorating and cozy gatherings. The addition of sour cream ensures a moist, rich texture, while a simple glaze adds a sweet finish. Ideal for holiday baking or any time you crave a classic, buttery sugar cookie with a delightful soft bite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup sour cream, chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- Sprinkles, optional
For the Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients and fats: In a food processor, pulse together granulated sugar, sea salt, baking soda, and all-purpose flour about 5-6 times until blended. Add cold unsalted butter and vegetable shortening, then pulse approximately 25 times until the mixture becomes uniformly crumbly and sandy in texture. Alternatively, sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and use a pastry cutter to incorporate butter and shortening until crumbly.
- Form the dough: Transfer the crumbly flour and fat mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the beaten egg, chilled sour cream, and vanilla or almond extract until the dough comes together. Use your hands to shape the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and position a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner for easy cookie transfer and cleanup.
- Roll and cut the dough: Lightly flour your rolling pin and work surface. Roll the chilled dough out to about ¼ inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and carefully place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are lightly golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the glaze: While the cookies cool, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and a pinch of sea salt in a small bowl until smooth and glossy.
- Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, spread or drizzle the glaze on top and decorate with sprinkles if desired. Let the glaze set before serving.
- Storage: Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week to maintain freshness.
Notes
- For best results, chill the dough for at least 1 hour to make rolling easier and to improve cookie texture.
- The recipe allows for vanilla or almond extract; almond provides a slightly different flavor profile.
- If you don’t have vegetable shortening, additional cold butter can be used but may slightly alter texture.
- Use parchment paper or Silpat on baking sheets to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Let glaze set fully before stacking cookies to avoid smudging decorations.
- Cookies can be frozen before or after baking; thaw before decorating if frozen unbaked.
