Description
These Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are tender, flavorful, and easy to make. The cookie dough is enriched with sour cream for added moisture and softness, while the cream cheese frosting adds a creamy, tangy sweetness that perfectly complements the cookies. Ideal for holiday baking or any occasion, these cookies are soft, slightly chewy, and irresistibly delicious.
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 the baking soda, salt, baking powder, and flour. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together, beating for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, continuing to beat for another 3 minutes to ensure a smooth mixture.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Sour Cream: Add the sifted flour mixture alternately with the sour cream in three additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix gently to combine without overworking the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours to allow the flavors to develop and the dough to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dough: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half to approximately ¼-inch thickness. Brush off any excess flour from the surface.
- Cut Out Cookies: Using lightly floured cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Because the dough is soft and won’t hold intricate shapes well, choose simple cutters such as hearts or circles.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the cut cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If not using parchment paper, there is 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 turning golden. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft.
- Cool Cookies: Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Icing: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until the frosting is smooth and well blended. If desired, add food coloring at this stage.
- Ice the Cookies: Frost the cooled cookies using a thin metal spatula or place the icing in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe decorative designs. Optionally, decorate with sprinkles, drageés, or sparkling sugars.
Notes
- Because the dough is soft, use cookie cutters with simple shapes like hearts or circles to avoid losing detail.
- Refrigerating the dough overnight is crucial for better flavor and easier handling.
- Cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for longer freshness.
- If desired, add food coloring to the frosting to fit festive themes.
- Do not overbake the cookies to maintain their soft texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
