Grandma’s Soft Sugar Cookies
Soft brown sugar drop cookies topped with creamy vanilla icing. A treasured family recipe for holidays, special occasions, or an everyday treat.
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- electric mixer
- rubber spatula
- tablespoon or cookie scoop
- cookie sheets
- cooling racks
- cookie spatula
- butter knife or icing spatula
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 cup milk
- 4 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream plus additional as needed
Optional Ingredients/Decorations
- Colored sanding sugar
- Nonpareils
- Crushed nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl or cup, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water.
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until completely combined.
- Add the dissolved baking soda mixture and mix until completely combined.
- Add half the milk and mix until combined. Add half the flour mixture and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining milk, followed by the remaining flour mixture.
- Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving space between the cookies for spreading.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes.
- Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheets for several minutes before carefully transferring them to cooling racks. They are very soft when hot and may break apart if moved too soon.
- Let the cookies cool completely before icing. Even if the outside feels cool, the centers may still hold enough warmth to melt the icing.
- To make the icing, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream until completely combined and creamy.
- If needed, add more heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until the icing reaches your desired spreading consistency.
- Spread the icing over the completely cooled cookies. If desired, sprinkle with colored sanding sugar, nonpareils, or crushed nuts while the icing is still soft.
Notes
Baking time is 10–12 minutes per baking sheet. Total baking time depends on the number of cookies and how many sheets you bake at once.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving them. Freshly baked cookies are very hot and soft and need time to set.
Cool the cookies completely before icing. Warmth remaining in the centers can soften or melt the icing, even when the outsides feel cool.
The amount of heavy cream needed for the icing varies from batch to batch. Start with 2 tablespoons, then add more gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, only as needed.
Grandma decorated these cookies for different holidays: red and green sugar for Christmas, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, blue and yellow for Easter, and orange for Halloween. Crushed nuts, nonpareils, or plain icing are other family favorites.
