Chewy Sugar Cookies and KING ARTHUR FLOUR GIVEAWAY!
Christmas seems to get more and more hectic each year when you have a family. Shopping, decorating, lists, baking, Christmas cards, wrapping, watching your budget, crafting, and all of the other little things we do to make the season special for our families.
While our kids and spouses get to sit back and enjoy the season, we rush and run around to create more magic, more, More..MORE!! ~laughs~ It gets a little harried, but I have one thing I do that I look forward to every year. Each year around this time, I start cookbook shopping. Not an ordinary book, but a big old thick cookbook with a nice hardback cover that I can really curl up with.
I really enjoy looking over my different options, reading reviews, pondering the pros of this one or that…and then I finally make my decision. I always order it by mail (Usually Amazon.com) so that it arrives sealed up in a box. Here is the important part: I do not open that box! I wrap it the day it comes in and place it beneath the tree with my name on it.
The remaining weeks are spent with me casting longing glances beneath the tree and looking forward to Christmas morning where I unwrap my prize and spend the better part of that day curled up in the recliner leisurely flipping through pages, enjoying my new toy as my kids enjoy theirs.
For two of the past few years, those books have been from King Arthur Flour. I love cookbooks, but it takes a lot for me to get really excited over one. There are four cookbooks in print right now that I trust completely. I own two King Arthur Flour cookbooks, so they hold two of those places!
You know how you see a new recipe, want to take it to an event, but feel you need to “try it out” first to make sure it tastes good? My favorite cookbooks are the ones which I trust completely, they require no trials or testing. You can choose a recipe and make it for the very first time to take to a grand event and know it will be perfect and loved by all. That’s how King Arthur recipes are.
The two King Arthur books I have (and love) are The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook
This cookbook is the essential guide on cookies. Just for sugar cookies alone there are 15 recipes and at least as many for our beloved chocolate chip! Each recipe features an introduction which describes the cookie texture and flavor..allowing you to choose exactly the type you are looking for with ease and confidence.
I still haven’t chosen my cookbook for this year. I need to pay another visit to King Arthur Flour’s site…
Now on to these delicious cookies…
My son has always loved the sugar cookies they sell in the malls. He calls them “sprinkle cookies” because they are covered in colorful sprinkles. I made these for the first time a few years back and he was elated when he came home from school. He actually thought I had been to the mall just to buy him cookies! They taste so wonderful and really beg to be dunked into a glass of milk. These are classic Santa cookies! You won’t believe the texture. When you pick them up, they feel like a regular cookie, but biting in reveals a tender chewiness unlike any other.
Feeling the love now, Michael?) 
Ingredients
- From Page 55 Of The The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook 3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1/4 Cup light corn syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg or 1/4 tsp lemon oil (optional, your choice - I left both of these out)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, granulated and brown sugars, corn syurup, vanilla, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and egg. Stir in flour.
- Place coarse sugar in shallow dish. Drop dough by tablespoonfull (a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here) into sugar, rolling the balls to coat them. Place on prepared baking sheets. (We just dig out hands in the dough, grab a bit, and roll it up in a ball - I've never owned a cookie scoop!)
- Bake cookies for ten minutes until the edges are just barely beginning to brown, they'll look soft. If you bake these cookies too long, they'll be crunch rather than chewy. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Nov 11 2008. Filed under Cookies, Dessert.
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Christmas-time meant cookie-time at our house. My favorite cookies where Candy-cane cookies from The Betty Crocker Cookbook. That is the perfect Kid-Cookie to make–lots of hands on
for me, the big deal was always the Christmas tree. i used to lay underneath our tree as a kid and look up at all of the glimmering beautiful decorations – in particular, the small mirrors that my mom had hanging on the tree that reflected everything.
these days, i still love getting out the tree and decorating it (and my 4 year old is really looking forward to it this year too!); but i’ve discovered a real love for holiday baking over the past few years. my husband pastors a church where many of the congregants are older and don’t do a lot of baking any more. they appreciate little tins and bags of goodies at this time of year, and i’m happy to provide them
there is nothing better than seeing the wide smile on a face when they realize what they’re holding in their hand, and because they are of the generation that writes thank you notes, i often receive some lovely notes in the weeks after Christmas. it makes my heart feel warm to know that they appreciate a little thing like that.
every year I attempt to make at least one family happier during the holidays. I have gone ALL OUT to providing for many cross country, bringing santa to the state hospital (entire ped. ward) and as small as grabbing an angel from one of the “TREES.” I do this each year in honor of the ELF that left me a Christmas wreath when I lived in the “projects” as a single mom. I came home from yet another hard day at work to see each door decorated with a hand crafted wreath, it was amazing! I was in tears with joy and loved the sentiment. There was no note or expectation from the giver, just a wreath hanging on each door. They were so very beautiful and I cherish the memory. In honor of my elf, I repeat this RAOK each year in a different way.
OK enuff of that……….. I LIKE YOU , like to curl up with a good cookbook, people don’t understand how I can READ my cookbooks, but I actually DO and have learned a great deal this way!
Thank you for the opportunity to win, and hey LUV YOUR SITE!
I have a very wonderful memory of going to my Grandma’s house at Christmas. When I was little the cousins would all “fight” over the baby Jesus figurine of the Nativity set
. If I didn’t get baby Jesus then I would get another piece of the set. We would line up and while everyone sang Silent Night then one by one we would put our piece in the Nativity scene with baby Jesus put in last.
That was such a special tradition to us that now when we go to my mom and dad’s for Christmas we don’t begin opening presents until we sing Silent Night. Awww the memories……they are special.
I just love baking cookies anytime but especially during the holidays. My favorite memory is the first year I was married to my wonderful husband. I had a home of my own and could bake my own cookies. It was just wonderful and for 20 years, I’ve cooked and baked and love all of it.
My favorite holiday memory was when I was really young and my parents asked me what I wanted Santa to bring me for Christmas on the Eve, and when I woke up the next morning, I had all these gifts at the foot of my bed. I was amazed. And we hardly celebrated Christmas at that time (Asian parents in Asian country and all that..)
My mum always made sugar cookies at Christmas and my sister and I got to sprinkle on the sugar. None of my friends’ mums ever made Christmas cookies so it was very special to know that my mum did! I made some of this recipe this last weekend and even though they collapsed as flat as pancakes, it still only took 2 days for a double recipe to disappear! My daughter is already asking for more! Maybe next time they’ll stay fluffy! Incredibly chewy and delicious – definitely could not take just one!!
I love sugar cookies! Not only to eat, but to bake and these look so easy too.
My mom passed away about 6 years ago, but when she was alive, every year in about Nov. or early Dec. she would make these cookies that weren’t really a Christmas cookie, but a good chocolate dunker. The recipe didn’t even have an exact amount of flour in it…just add it until the wooden spoon stands up without moving. The longer these cookies sat, the harder they got so that the only choice that you had was to dunk them. They became a family joke because she made so many that they lasted so long. One year she still had some left in summer. My uncle thought that hilarious. So that next year he got a nice tin of them for his birthday in July! haha
There’s a wonderful shop called Callahan’s of Calabash in NC that had room after room of themed Christmas trees and sold thousands of ornaments and decorations. I used to love wandering through there as a child. It was just magical!
Christmas morning my husband’s family gathers at his parent’s house for breakfast. My mother in law makes the most wonderful tea rings, and we eat that plus many other great breakfast treats. After breakfast, we gather in the den and read the Christmas story from Luke. We light the advent wreath, and have a wonderful devotion before opening gifts.
On Christmas Eve my sister and I used to “practice” how we were going to walk down the stairs and get our first look at the Christmas tree with the presents underneath. So on Christmas morning we had our reactions and looks of surprise just perfectly rehearsed. (Neither of us became actresses.)
My favorite holiday memory is the Christmas Stocking. Oh how I loved my stocking. Yes, the presents under the tree were great and all, but what was in that stocking made me the most excited. Oh, I loved the lipglosses, the lotions, the fingernail polish, the hairbows and the jewelry. I guess it goes to show that good things do come in small packages!
One of my favorite childhood memories was going to my Grandparents house in Illinois and my grandfather made cookies. There were cookies in several old milk containers in a huge freezer on the front porch. He made a butterscotch cookie that was the size of a hershey’s kiss and it was my favorite. I was the first one down stairs so I had cookies and chocolate milk before my parents were up. I’ve started making cookies for friends and family.
My favorite memories are of me my mom and my 3 sisters baking together.
Every year the Saturday before Christmas we BAKE somewhere around 20 different types of cookies,we bake for like 12 hours straight! We laugh and carry on and eat and have a wonderful Christmas filled day.I look forward to it every year.YUM!
the cookies & mixes with King Arthur flour reminds me of my husband…Before he got so sick & could not work, & I did…I used to make big batches of cookie mix…then I would make up enough to make about 2 doz. cookies, roll it up , wrap in aluminum foil..then freeze…..he would slice & bake cookies about every other day…brings bake a good memory
Every year at Christmas, we were allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve. We would carefully look at every box under the tree until we figured out which one to open. Before we opened our Christmas Eve present, we would make cookies for Santa. It was great! I just got married this year and my husband and I are going to follow the tradition. I love Christmas! It makes me feel like such a kid!!
My favorite memory of Christmas is my mom making “Potato Candy”. I love peanut butter in just about everything. My pasted away 2 months ago and I trying to get through all of the “First” without her. She made the best potato candy…..
My favoite Christmas memory is the year my daddy made my brother and me our own set of stilts and our own coat tree with a cut out dog and cat at the bottom. We lost our daddy Dec 15 1980 I was only 15 and my brother was only 13. We were so proud of our gifts that year.
Mel
When I was six (I’M 57 NOW) my parents divorced. One of my sisters and I were sent to live with an Aunt and Uncle in another state who were childless.We had never had a Christmas, so you could understand our doubts ,that Santa really existed as he had never visited us before. Christmas Eve we made sugar cookies and left some out with a glass of milk for Santa.My Aunt read us the Christmas story and sent us to bed. I remember my Aunt waking us up…She told us to be quite and listen…we heard bells jingling, it sounded as if it were on the roof…Then she had us tip-toe down the hall and peek into the living room…Oh my, there he was…he looked just like all the pictures we had seen of Santa…he put lots of gifts under the tree and then ate the cookies, took a swallow of milk and turned and winked at us. At this point my Aunt made us go back to bed. Can you imagine the excitement and joy of a 6 and 4 year old.My Aunt and Uncle are dead now…but the gift of Christmas and love they they gave me has never left my heart.
I LOVE CHRISTMAS FOR ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS BUT I LOVE CHRISTMAS FOR ALL THE SMELLS COMING FROM MY KITCHEN.I LOVE TO BAKE AND I HAVEE FOUND SO MANY GOOD RECIPES FROM THIS WEBSITE AND SOUTHERN PLATE!!!
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK
Our two-story house was drafty in the cold Milwaukee winters. We’d store our baked Christmas cookies on the stairway heading up to the bedrooms. When told as a little girl to go up to bed, it was such a treat to stop at one of the favorite boxes and sneak a few cookies to take into bed with me. They tasted far better than any that decorated the lovely crystal cookie platter!
My favorite thing about Christmas has to be the sparkly decorations, especially the lights. It was so magical to me as a child! I live in North Florida and I remember one year, both of my grandmothers, who lived in North Alabama, told me I could help decorate their trees when I came up for Thanksgiving because I loved it so much! I was in heaven, even though their trees were artificial! I wish I could get as excited about it now as I did then! I do enjoy looking at the decorations, just not the process of it. I always get a little sad Dec. 26th when people start taking down their decorations or not bothering to plug in their lights!
My favorite memory was sitting on my Dad’s lap and eating oranges. I was about 3. We would peel them and throw the peeling in the coal fire grate. The oranges would sting my chapped lips but the fragrance of the orange peel and oranges were wonderful. The aroma of fresh oranges today send me back to those moments 60 plus years ago.
My Dad always got a sack of oysters. He would eat his fill of raw oysters, then would fill the bowl. Then Mama would fry them up and we ate huge oyster poboys. Then after I took Biology in high school I never ate another oyster. But that was our Christmas tradition.
I loved the way my family celebrated Chirstmas when I was growing up. My parents divorced when I was 5. But, we still had time with both Mom and Dad on Christmass. Christmas Eve was Mom’s time: First we would go visit “the shut-ins”: the family memmbers who stayed home because of other family obligations. Then we would end up back at our house with our extended family from my mom’s & grandmother’s side of the family. At midnight, we would sing “Happy Birthday” to my grandmother (Christmas Day was her birthday). Then it was time to go to bed. The next morning we would wake up, have a family breakfast – no one could open presents until everyone was up and had breakfast (I started making everyone breakfast in bed when I was 13! At 6:00 in the morning!) Around 10 am Mom would take us to our paternal grandparents’ house where she would have a cake baked for my Grandfather – his birthday was Christmas Eve. Then she would leave, and my dad would come. We had a big meal with them and then we would go to my great-aunt’s house for a big family open house with my dad’s extended family. We always had a great time at all places and were surrounded by family!
My favorite Christmas memory luckily happens every year. My grandmother makes Christmas stocking with everyone’s name on it and I love to hang them up. It’s a visual picture of how close our family is and I love them so much!!!
My favorite Christmas memory was opening up our stockings after we had opened our presents. My grandmother always put the best things into our stockings. She would wrap every thing inside the stocking (even pencils and things), so that made it that much more exciting.
My pre Christmas Holidays are spent baking way way too many kinds of cookies. Love them. Old recipes, new recipes, any recipes with chocolate, any recipes with peppermint. Don’t know when to stop. I really need a King Arthurs Cookbook!
Can’t wait to start Christmas cookies!
I think my best memory was the first time I made Thanksgiving dinner after Mama had passed away. I had always helped her in the kitchen, making the pies, mixing up her famous dressing recipe. Doing her refrigerator pickles that she only made at holiday time. I had just moved in with my SO the year before, and decided to go ahead and do the traditional meal. It was like her spirit got into me, and before I knew it, I was mixing up her dressing, baking the pies, and doing all the night before prep. Next day, I was in the kitchen by 8 and stuffing the turkey, prepping the homemade (she never used canned until the last year of her life) cranberry sauce. Getting the potatoes on to cook, turkey in the oven. Before I knew it, the whole house smelled like she was in the kitchen cooking, and the spread that we sat down to was as huge as hers. Its a good thing we invited a couple friends over, the two of us would never have finished all that off. And everything tasted just like her food. Can you get any better than that?
Since then, I do all the holiday cooking and it never fails to satisfy.
My favorite Christmas will be this Christmas because each year I remember all the wonderful friends and family from past years and the wonderful times we have had together and continue to have. Growing up being one of 18 grandkids, Christmas was always FUN. We could not eat lunch fast enough so we could open the presents. ‘When can we open presents’ was the chant that resinated thru the house. When we opened the presents there was paper and bows everywhere. We would all play for a while and then we had to go back and get dessert. The old dresser that grandmother used for a buffet was always covered with every kind of cake, pie, congealed salad(it was the 70′s and 80′s) and grandmothers fruitcake that she had soaked in peach brandy. Yes I love a good baked fruitcake and these days that is my own. I don’t soak it in peach brandy. My recipe has Jack Daniels in it and poured over it after it comes out of the overn. If you don’t like it don’t bother me, I’ll be eating my fruitcake and drinking a pot of 8 o’clock coffee.
Merry Christmas to all and my you each have a safe, happy memorable Christmas surrounded by those you love with many wonderful dishes to share.
It’s the little things that make the best memories for me. Every year a week or so before Christmas Daddy would bring home a case of apples and oranges, bags of pecans that we would have to crack open, bags of the orange slice candy and chocolate creme drops. That is the only time we got those kind of treats. We also rode around and looked at the lights on Saturday night before Christmas, but we had to wait until Lawrence Welk Show went off before we could go.
I guess I didn’t post my best Christmas memory so here goes . . .
The most memorable Christmas for me was after my husband left me, our 7 yr old daughter, and 3 yr old son. We lived in a small town in the snowbelt at the time and even with all the snow, it didn’t seem like Christmas. I felt so bad for my kids – they were hurting and so was I. My son, Ryan, didn’t say a word about presents, Santa, or Christmas that year. He had none of the excitement that most all kids have around that time of year.
Christmas eve, my soon-to-be ex-father in law stopped to pick us up for a party (I was, and remain to be, on good terms with my in-laws) and when we were walking out of the house, amid the heavy snowfall and wind, we could hear the sound of bells jingling. Under the shine of the streetlight, we saw the most realistic Santa Claus! and he said ho-ho-ho to the kids. Another heavy whoosh of the wind and blinding snow, and Santa was gone. It was truly magical. It was just what we needed – some magic. And what could have been the worst Christmas ever, really turned out to be one of the best.
And Ryan, who is now 21, STILL believes in Santa!
Beth in PA
Thank you for all the nice words you write about King Arthur Flour. The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion is a wonderful book with great recipes. I hope whoever wins will enjoy it. Joan@bakershot line
My all time favorite holiday activity is baking! This is one of the few books I don’t own, so my shelves would be thrilled to have it!
My favorite holiday activity is baking …
my favorite holiday memory is from when I was a child – I remember standing in front of the picture window looking up into the sky trying to see Santa and the reindeer flying by – it was snowing and icy cold so I was afraid that he wouldn’t get to our house that night. Magical memories…
Winner has been chosen and will be announced soon!
My favorite Christmas memory is my grandfather sitting every year in the rocking chair opening his presents. We have pictures of him in the same chair every year!
Make cookies with my sisters.
[...] Chewy Sugar Cookies: They taste so wonderful and really beg to be dunked into a glass of milk. These are classic Santa cookies! You won’t believe the texture. When you pick them up, they feel like a regular cookie, but biting in reveals a tender chewiness unlike any other. Recipe from Southern Plate. [...]
I just made these cookies and oh my goodness!!!! These are the chewiest best tasting sugar cookies I have ever had…and so easy!! These have forever spoiled me. I will never by premade sugar cookies again.
And they are so pretty with the red and green sugar crystals on them. These are cookies I will definitely be making every Christmas.
Ooohh I will have to try this. I’ve been trying to find a sugar cookie that tastes like the mall ones.
I love King Arthur Flour. They have the greatest catalog with all kinds of gadgets and flavorings, etc.
Oh, and I have the best sugar cookie recipe- with powdered sugar! Will have to send it to you.
I just got this recipe as I am fairly new to my wonderful “Southern Plate” site. I love, love, love this. I have already made your chocolate cobbbler and it was fantastic! That is how I got so lucky and found your site. I am going to make these and just use the red sprinkles or red and pink ones and make Valentine Cookies for friends and family. THANKS AGAIN! You are such a joy and your site is a blessing! Please keep it going and going.
My favorite holiday is Christmas. When my son was born, I started a tradition with him that I’d heard about. We bake a birthday cake for and sing Happy Birthdaya to Jesus on Christmas day. It is fun and reminds us of the reason for the holiday. We’ve done this for 19 years and my son, James, thinks Jesus would prefer the funfetti cake with funfetti icing.
Hi — this is so sweet of you to a way of wining a cook book! I love cook books too!
Okay — it was 1983 Christmas we had been blessed with three children — one daughter and deaf twin sons. We were awfully poor that year but that year you gather here and there wood and built a two sit toy airplane & a two sit helicopter (kid size). We ask friend for left over wood and took old toy and used for handals — we has left over paint so we were able to paint and with out our children finding out. It took us right up to the very eve of Christmas Eve. You should of seen their faces — I can stil see how wide open their eye were and the endless joy of playing on those toys… Kristeen ( new email kandgough@gmail.com)
When I was a child we made and decorated Christmas cookies every year. Now I do the same with my own children.
Every Christmas my mother would bake persimmon cookies and fruitcake for my brother. She passed away nearly 7 years ago and last year I failed miserably in getting the necessary quick bread that is the base for the fruitcake. This year I started looking early so I wouldn’t let my brother down again. I found it and am happy to say he will get his persimmon cookies AND fruitcake again this year! These sugar cookies though will be in a box to Afghanistan to my nephew serving in the Army! Thank you!!
My favorite Christmas memory…the whole family gathering together on Christmas Eve to enjoy great food and each other. Before we were allowed to open any gifts, my father would read the passage of Jesus’ birth from the bible. It reminded everyone of the REAL reason for Christmas.
These cookies look so good! They actually look like the sugar cookies that my grandmother from Kentucky used to make every year. She rolled them in colored sugar just the same way. The grandkids mowed through the cookies so fast that she had to make a new batch every day… I got her to write down the recipe for me a year or so before she passed away, but I misplaced the index card it was on (I’m sure it’s around somewhere though). I will have to make this recipe this Christmas.
Also, I want to share a cheapo method of making colored sugar that I figure you may appreciate since you’re like me and want to save money. All you do is put some granulated sugar (or you can use the bigger grains of sugar, like Sugar in the Raw brand) in a plastic baggie and add a few drops of food coloring. Seal the bag and shake it up really well so the color gets evenly distributed. Add more color until it’s as bright as you want. Spread the sugar out on plates or wax paper or foil for a couple of hours until it’s dry. Ta da! No more $4 little bottles of colored sugar!