The Very Best Cookie Recipe ((“Swig” Sugar Cookies))
Last weekend we had my favorite kind of weather! It was so cold and overcast and the biggest juiciest snowflakes fell for hours! I have not seen such a pretty snow all year! With such gorgeous winter weather outside, I was inspired to bake inside. While the kiddos went sledding on our secret hill, I stayed behind and did a search on Pinterest using these words “the best cookie recipe ever“.
Right in the middle of the screen I saw the most delicious looking frosted sugar cookies. Maybe it was the thick frosting or the beautiful crinkled edges — or possibly the odd name “Swig” cookies that grabbed my attention. Either way, I clicked the link and begin reading the blogger’s description of these beauties.
The blogger ((Mandi)) at Vintage Revivals begins her post by saying something along the lines of — “In the three years of blogging, I have never shared a recipe…these cookies will change your life.”
Um yes. With just those few first sentences, I knew – these cookies would soon be mine.
I only made a few minor adjustments to the recipe, just to fit my personal taste preferences. Those changes include:
- salted butter — I always use salted butter in baking. It’s one of my baking quirks. If you don’t like to do that – by all means use unsalted.
- vanilla — This recipe didn’t use vanilla ((or any other flavoring)) in the cookie dough. I could not resist adding a few teaspoons of vanilla.
- almond extract — The frosting recipe calls for sour cream and butter. I love this idea, but still couldn’t resist adding a teaspoon of almond extract. The addition was a delight to my tastbuds!
There are a few components of this recipe that are particularly interesting to me. This cookie recipe calls for both:
- butter & oil
- granulated & powdered sugar
These details tell me whoever wrote this recipe had some true baking skills. Each one of these four ingredients imparts specific qualities into the cookie – ultimately yielding ((which I can now testify to)) the best sugar cookie I have ever eaten. Moist and dense, well held together and perfectly tasty – sweet with a hint of salt.
Cream the sugars with the butter, oil & eggs
Combine the dry ingredients.
Please do a better job than I did when I added the dry to the wet ingredients. Flour — went — e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e!!
I think the 2 tablespoon scoop is such handy tool for cooking making!
Once the cookies are all scooped out onto the parchment lined baking sheets, take an extra minute and hand roll each ball.
Place about ½ cup of granulated sugar in a small dish and coat the bottom of a glass in sugar.
This was my favorite part! Pressing the cookies with the sugar-coated glass bottom left these cookies so pretty!
Into the oven at 350° for 8 to 9 minutes. So yummy – I could have just stopped here! But I have never turned down buttercream in all my 40 years and I don’t plan on starting now.
This buttercream is something special. The addition of tangy sour cream to an otherwise classic buttercream really works well with this sweet, chewy cookie.
An entire bag of powdered sugar, along with the butter & sour cream ensures you won’t be running out of buttercream anytime soon!
A few tablespoons of milk, a teaspoon of almond extract & one drop of food coloring is all that’s left.
I would like to introduce you to the perfect cookie.
It sure makes a cute St. Patty’s Day treat!
Now hold the phone just one second. I am aware lots of recipes are called “the best ever”. Adding that tag line has become so common, it isn’t really believable, right? I mean everything cannot be the “best ever”. It is a mathematical impossibility.
Since these really are the “best sugar cookies ever” – and I want you to believe me, I will classify these under the tagline: “Sure to please you tastebuds and tighten your pants.” Very few things are worthy of tightening my pants — and I will let these lovelies tighten my pants any day! ((but not too many days in a row, I can’t afford a new wardrobe!
I’ll take 37 please.
- 1 c butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 c vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 c sugar
- 3/4 c powdered sugar
- 2 T water
- 2 eggs
- 2 t vanilla
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t cream of tarter
- 1 t kosher salt
- 5 1/2 c flour
- 1/2 c granulated sugar for pressing cookies
- 1/2 c butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 c sour cream
- 1/4 t sea salt
- 1/4 c milk
- 1 t almond extract
- 2 lb bag of pure cane powdered sugar
- 1 drop of food coloring and sprinkles if desired
- Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a mixer, cream together sugars, oils, water, eggs and vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients & gently mix. Add flour in thirds to the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.
- Using a 2 T scoop, place dough on lined baking sheets, approximately 2" apart. Lightly hand roll each cookie dough ball. Place the remaining 1/2 c granulated sugar in a small dish and dip the base of a small glass into the sugar and then press into each cookie.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tray for 1-2 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.
- Combine all buttercream ingredients ((except milk & sprinkles)) in a mixing bowl and whip on low speed increasing to medium high as the powdered sugar becomes incorporated. Add milk in 1 T increments until desired consistency is reached.
- Spread about 1-3 T buttercream over each cooled cookie & serve. Frost only enough cookies to eat in one sitting. Refrigerate unfrosted cookies and buttercream, frosting as they are served.
- Makes 48 cookies.