Pioneer woman sugar cookies with sour cream

Q: What is Ree Drummonds favorite cookie?

Simple, delicious, jammy—theres so much to love about a traditional thumbprint cookie. By the way, this one only needs 30 minutes of prep time. These sugar cookies are not only Rees favorite, but yours, too! The recipe was passed down to Ree from a member of her church, and its been widely beloved by all ever since.

Cream together 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs. Add sour cream.
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Mix together 5 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add to the egg-sugar mixture.
Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes.
To Make Frosting: In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat together the softened cream cheese and evaporated milk until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt and confectioners' sugar. Beat until well blended. Color as desired and frost cooled cookies.

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Level: Easy

Total: 11 hr (includes chilling, cooling and setting times)
Active: 30 min

Yield: 24 cookies
Nutrition Info Nutritional AnalysisPer ServingServing Size1 of 18 servings Calories326 Total Fat14 gSaturated Fat7 gCarbohydrates 49 gDietary Fiber6 gSugar25 gProtein4 gCholesterol49 mgSodium154 mg

Level: Easy

Total: 11 hr (includes chilling, cooling and setting times)
Active: 30 min

Yield: 24 cookies
Nutrition Info Nutritional AnalysisPer ServingServing Size1 of 18 servings Calories326 Total Fat14 gSaturated Fat 7 gCarbohydrates49 gDietary Fiber6 gSugar25 gProtein4 gCholesterol49 mgSodium154 mg

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Cookie:

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

3/4 cup sour cream

Frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream

18 drops green gel paste

72 cinnamon imperials, for topping

Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cutter

For the cookie: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar, butter and shortening. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well between additions. Add the vanilla extract and vanilla seeds and mix well. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low until just mixed through; the dough will be sticky. Shape into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
Roll out the dough on a generously floured piece of parchment to about 1/4 inch thick and cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheets. If the dough becomes too sticky and hard to work with, move it to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up, then continue rolling and cutting. Bake until the cookies are puffed and cooked through but have not taken on any color, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
For the frosting: When ready to decorate, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on medium until smooth and fluffy. Add the heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is fairly thick. Add the gel paste and stir to evenly combine.
Use a butter knife to spread the frosting on the cookies, then decorate with 3 cinnamon imperials in the center of each cookie. Leave overnight to set.

This recipe has been updated and may differ from what was originally published or broadcast.

Simple, delicious, jammy—there's so much to love about a traditional thumbprint cookie. By the way, this one only needs 30 minutes of prep time. These sugar cookies are not only Ree's favorite, but yours, too! The recipe was passed down to Ree from a member of her church, and it's been widely beloved by all ever since.

What makes cookies fluffy vs flat?

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

What makes cookies crispy or soft?

Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.

How do you make cookies more moist and chewy?

Double Your Yolks Most cookie recipes call for at least one egg. You can try omitting the white of each egg, which tends to dry out when baked, and replacing it with an additional yolk Plus, egg yolks have more fat than egg whites, which helps to keep your cookies moist and chewy.