Icebox Sugar Cookies

There really is something nostalgic about sugar cookies, rolling them out, cutting out fun shapes, covering them with icing and sprinkles….and making a GIANT mess! I ran across this sugar cookie recipe about a year and a half ago and now I have a REALLY hard time wanting to make any other sugar cookie. I make the dough, and freeze it. Then when the kids are ready to make them, I give them each a bowl of sprinkles and sugar for dipping. They have a blast covering their cookie in brightly colored sprinkles and the mess is minimal. To make it even better, they are DELICIOUS!

 

Icebox Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) butter,at room temperature
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Sugar and sprinkles, for dipping

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
2. In another medium bowl, using a handheld mixer set at medium speed, beat the 1 cup of sugar and the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
3. Using a spoon, gradually stir in the flour mixture. Transfer the dough to a sheet of waxed paper and form it into a log about 12 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Wrap the log of dough in the waxed paper and refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly spray 2 nonstick cookie sheets with oil.
5. Unwrap the chilled dough. Place the sugar and sprinkles  in a small bowl. Cut the dough crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds. Dip each round in the sugar, place the cookies sugar side up, 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
6. One sheet at a time, bake the cookies until lightly browned around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. The centers may seem slightly underdone, but they will firm when cooled. Cool the cookies in the pan for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire cake rack to cool completely.  ( I  really try not to let them get brown at all. If you can pull them out before they get brown they are super tender once they cool.)