Best 5 Aunt Lydas Sugar Cookies Recipes

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Indulge in the delectable goodness of Aunt Lyda's Sugar Cookies, a cherished family recipe passed down through generations. These classic cookies, hailing from the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, are renowned for their melt-in-your-mouth texture and irresistible buttery flavor. With a hint of lemon zest and a generous coating of granulated sugar, these cookies are sure to tantalize your taste buds and evoke nostalgic memories.

This article presents a collection of three variations on Aunt Lyda's Sugar Cookies, each offering a unique twist on the original recipe. The traditional Aunt Lyda's Sugar Cookies recipe yields soft and chewy cookies with a crisp exterior, while the Chewy Sugar Cookies variation offers a delightful combination of chewy and crispy textures. For those seeking a gluten-free option, the Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies recipe provides an equally delicious and satisfying alternative, ensuring that everyone can savor the timeless charm of these classic treats.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES



Classic Sugar Cookies image

As you might expect from Betty Crocker, these are the classic version of a sugar cookie-the kind your grandma or even great-grandma would recognize. These cookies are the originals that provided a sweet, universally lovable starting point for generations of bakers to riff on, and we stand by them just as they are. With a tender, short texture that comes from a good buttery base, they break with just the right balance of bend and snap. And the taste? When we recently baked up a few batches for pre-Christmas testing, person after person in the Test Kitchens said, "Now THAT is a sugar cookie." While flavor and texture are arguably the key criteria on which cookies should be judged, when it comes to sugar cookies, there's another important factor: how easy they are to decorate. It's crucial that sugar cookie dough can be easily turned into cookies that are equal parts decorative and delicious. During our most recent testing of this recipe, we also noticed that there were no instructions for a glaze in this recipe. Not wanting to leave you-or your cookies-high and dry, we tested a few glazes. The one we landed on is simple and made with common pantry staples, but the magic is in the ratio of ingredients-we ensured that it results in a glaze that's easily tintable, covers smoothly and dries firmly so that you can stack the finished cookies without fear of smudging them. However you chose to decorate them, dress these classic sugar cookies up in holiday style and they'll be the star of every Christmas gathering.

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Dessert

Time 7h50m

Yield 55

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 cups powdered sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Food colors, if desired
Colored sugar or candy sprinkles, if desired

Steps:

  • In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
  • Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
  • In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 90, Carbohydrate 14 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Fat 1/2, Fiber 0 g, Protein 0 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 50 mg, Sugar 10 g, TransFat 0 g

MARY'S SUGAR COOKIES



Mary's Sugar Cookies image

A very good sugar cookie with a hint of almond flavor.

Provided by Pat

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Sugar Cookies

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup granulated sugar for decoration

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; blend into the creamed mixture. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the dough into two parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of the dough out to 3/16 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with plain or colored granulated sugar.
  • Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 126.3 calories, Carbohydrate 16 g, Cholesterol 22.5 mg, Fat 6.4 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.4 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 88.2 mg, Sugar 7.9 g

AUNT ANNIE'S SUGAR COOKIES



Aunt Annie's Sugar Cookies image

A wonderful vegan sugar cookie. I borrowed this recipe, but can't remember where I got it from. This is the title it came with, though, so thank you to the originator! I originally found it while looking for a recipe for Christmas cut out cookies. This one works great! I have altered it ever so slightly. I like to roll them thin (but not too thin). They get eaten very quickly, especially warm out of the oven. By the way, I'm fully guessing at the yield. It depends on what size cutters you use, and how thin you roll them out. Enjoy!

Provided by TheCookinMom

Categories     Dessert

Time 33m

Yield 48 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance Spread)
3/4 cup soymilk, with
1 teaspoon vinegar, added (to make sour milk)
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated, this ingredient is key to the flavor!)

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together.
  • In a large bowl, fully cream margarine and sugar together.
  • Add soured milk alternately with the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.
  • Form dough into a ball, wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  • Cut the dough into quarters and roll out one quarter at a time (it rolls and cuts the best if it is chilled, so keep the remaining sections in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them).
  • I use a pastry mat to cut my dough out on. I have never had a problem with the dough being sticky, but you can lightly flour your work surface, if necessary (beware that it might change the flavor a bit if you over flour).
  • Transfer the cut out cookies to an ungreased baking sheet. I like to sprinkle a little sugar on the tops of them before baking. My children like to put sprinkles on top first. Or, you can leave them plain and put icing on afterwards. We have too big a sweet tooth here to eat them plain.
  • Bake in a 350°F oven for 7-9 minutes. Do not brown!
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 68.3, Fat 0.2, Sodium 48.2, Carbohydrate 15.5, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 7.3, Protein 1.2

AUNT NELDA'S SUGAR COOKIES



Aunt Nelda's Sugar Cookies image

This is my great aunt's famous sugar cookie recipe! They're her signature, and she brings them to every family gathering. I know there are a ton of other sugar cookie recipes on Zaar, but I didn't see any quite like this. They're scrumptious! She told me she got them from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, Hearst Magazines, 1949. The prep time does not include time to chill overnight, and the serving size is an estimate!

Provided by Kree6528

Categories     Drop Cookies

Time 30m

Yield 24 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps:

  • Measure 3/4 cup sugar into a large bowl.
  • Add oil and stir until well blended.
  • Break eggs into small bowl and beat well with egg beater.
  • Stir, with vanilla flavoring, into shortening mixture.
  • Measure sifted flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt into a flour sifter; sift into a medium bowl.
  • Gradually add flour mixture to shortening mixture, beating with a spoon after each addition.
  • Chill bowl of cookie dough overnight, or until dough can be easily handled.
  • Drop dough by FULL teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets.
  • Sprinkle with granulated sugar (Omit sugar if cookies will be frosted).
  • Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.
  • Bake in 350 degree F oven 10-12 minutes or until done.
  • Remove from oven and with broad spatula and slide at once onto rack to cool.
  • NOTE: For cut-out cookies, roll to 1/8” thickness on lightly-floured board.
  • Cookies will be harder than the drop cookies--use flour sparingly.
  • This dough may also be rolled, chilled, and sliced like refrigerator cookies.

AUNT LYDA'S SUGAR COOKIES



Aunt Lyda's Sugar Cookies image

Provided by My Food and Family

Categories     Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 13

1.5 cups shortening
1.5 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 units eggs
4 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
0.5 cups buttermilk
1 units cookie icing
4 cups confectioners ' sugar
0.25 cups shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 units food coloring

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then add eggs one at a time. Measure out flour and sift baking soda into it with a fork. Add flour and buttermilk alternately until all are mixed. Chill mixture for at least 2 hours. You also can make the batter a few days ahead of the time you want to make the cookies, just store in fridge.
  • Roll out 1/4 of cooking mixture at a time. Roll on lightly floured counter or board (or between two pieces of parchment paper) to 1/4 inch thick and cutout with your favorite cookie cutters. (See note below.) You may reroll leftover dough to make more cookies. Just be careful not to work too much flour into them.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes. Will be light in color. Do not overbake. Frost as desired when completely cooled.
  • Icing Instructions:
  • In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired. Makes about 3 cups of icing. And don't forget the sprinkles :-) ~Jan~

Nutrition Facts : Calories 0 g, Fat 0 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 g, Sodium 0 g, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 0 g

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients, especially butter and flour. Real butter will give your cookies a richer flavor and texture than margarine or shortening, and fresh flour will help them rise properly.
  • Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start baking. This will help them cream together more easily and create a smoother dough.
  • Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing can make the cookies tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Chill the dough before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
  • Bake the cookies at the right temperature and for the right amount of time. If the cookies are underbaked, they will be soft and chewy. If they are overbaked, they will be hard and crumbly.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before frosting or decorating them. This will help the frosting or decorations set properly.

Conclusion:

Aunt Lydia's Sugar Cookies are a classic recipe that is sure to please everyone. They are soft, chewy, and full of flavor. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make these delicious cookies in no time. So next time you're looking for a sweet treat, give Aunt Lydia's Sugar Cookies a try. You won't be disappointed!

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