Gourmet Cookie Recipe
Gourmet sugar cookies are thick, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth soft with a delightful sparkly crunch. These decadent treats need no chilling or rolling and stay tender for days.
Perfect for any celebration or cozy afternoon, gourmet sugar cookies deliver bakery-level indulgence right at home. Bake a batch once, and they’ll instantly become your new go-to.
Must-Have Ingredients for Gourmet Sugar Cookies
- Unsalted butter – Creates a rich, buttery base that keeps each bite soft and flavorful.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens and helps the cookies hold their signature thick shape.
- Eggs – Bind the dough and add extra softness.
- Vanilla extract – Adds warm, classic sweetness that elevates the simple cookie.
- Cake flour – Gives a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that all-purpose flour can’t match.
- Baking powder & baking soda – Ensure the cookies puff up perfectly without spreading too much.
- Coarse sugar – Adds that irresistible sparkly finish and a slight crunch.
How to Make These Irresistible Gourmet Sugar Cookies
Start by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, ensuring everything is well combined. Whisk the dry ingredients separately, then gradually fold them into the wet mixture.
Scoop generous balls of dough, roll each in coarse sugar, and bake until just set but still pale. This keeps the cookies ultra-soft with a hint of chewiness. Let them cool on the baking sheet to maintain their perfect texture.
Secrets for the Softest Cookies Ever
For the softest gourmet sugar cookies, don’t overbake—keep them pale with only the slightest hint of color on the bottoms. Cake flour is essential for that melt-in-your-mouth crumb, so don’t swap it without adjusting the recipe properly.
Play with fun twists by adding colorful sprinkles to the dough or topping each cookie with buttercream once cooled. A test batch helps nail the exact bake time for your oven, so your cookies stay soft for days.
Keeping Your Cookies Fresh and Tender
Store leftover gourmet sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them tender and buttery for up to five days. If you’d like to freeze them, stack with parchment between layers and seal tightly.
Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature, and for that just-baked warmth, pop them in the microwave for a few seconds. They’ll taste fresh, soft, and just as delicious as the day you made them.
Gourmet Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- Coarse sugar for rolling
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 4 cups 455 g cake flour (do not substitute with all-purpose flour without adjusting)
- 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups 300 g granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar for approximately 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly and scraping down the sides and base of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring in about a cup at a time until the dough comes together smoothly. Ensure the sides and bottom of the bowl are fully scraped down so no dry pockets remain; the dough will feel slightly tacky.
- Portion the dough into 3-Tablespoon (60g) mounds, rolling each into a smooth ball between your palms. Coat each dough ball completely in coarse sugar before placing it onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches (5 cm) of space between cookies.
- Position the baking sheet on the center rack and bake for 11–13 minutes. The cookies should remain pale with minimal browning on the edges. Once baked, allow them to cool fully on the baking sheet. For best results, test-bake one or two cookies first—flip them over to ensure the base is just faintly colored but not golden brown, adjusting your bake time if needed.
