Looking for the best chewy sugar cookie? This is a recipe you have to try! Replacing a portion of the melted butter with vegetable oil ensured a chewy cookie without affecting the flavor. And incorporating an unusual addition, cream cheese, into the cookie dough kept the cookies tender, while the slight tang of the cream cheese made for a rich, not-too-sweet cookie. The final dough will be slightly softer than most cookie dough. For the best results, handle the dough as briefly and gently as possible when shaping the cookies. Overworking the dough will result in flatter cookies.
Chewy Sugar Cookie
Course: Desserts, Baked GoodsDifficulty: Easy2
Dozen30
minutesIngredients
2 1⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
1 1⁄2 cups sugar, plus
1⁄3 cup sugar, for rolling
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Place 1½ cups sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl. Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow baking dish or pie plate and set aside. Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some small lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later). Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until soft homogeneous dough forms.
- Divide dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2 tablespoons each (or use #40 portion scoop). Using hands, roll dough into balls. Working in batches, roll balls in reserved sugar to coat and evenly spaced on a prepared baking sheet, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using the bottom of the drinking glass, flatten dough balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops evenly with 4 teaspoons of sugar remaining in a shallow dish (2 teaspoons per tray), discarding any remaining sugar.
- Bake, 1 tray at a time, until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the tray after 7 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
