Ready for the best sugar cookie recipe EVER? I promise you, this is IT y'all! I can't believe we have made the decision to share my longtime secret family recipe, but it's Christmas and we're doing this! With my mother's blessing, of course.
But first, I do need to advise this recipe is not permitted to be sold by any individual persons or companies. Donya Strother is the most generous woman we know, so it is very fitting that she would share this amazing recipe with all of you for Christmas! So, let's begin.
And I (Holly Frys, wife to to Ed Frys, Owner of The Sugar Art) will be writing this story in my own voice. I do hope it lifts your spirits this Christmas and inspires you to create your own family traditions before we're through.
The best sugar cookie recipe was originally created by my great-grandmother (Donya's grandmother) who was a single mom of 6. She worked incredibly hard providing for her children post World War II and smack dab in the middle of the Great Depression, all on her own in the desserts of West Texas. During those years of struggle she developed an inexpensive sugar cookie recipe she could make for her children every Christmas. She then shared that recipe with my mother when she was a child, and so it evolved into a now - Strother Family Tradition.
Since I can remember, my mother has gathered us around the kitchen table 1-week before Christmas to decorate her infamous sugar cookies. Of course using the best sugar cookie recipe. We make so many cookies that it takes an army to decorate them, too! The Christmas party attendants change every year, and every year we hear - we cannot wait to come back and do this again. Mom has a special way of making everyone feel welcomed, excited and it certainly helps to have the best sugar cookies to snack on, too!
While you only see un-iced cookies in our photo today, we definitely add a delicious glaze on top of these magical treats. However, the cookies are so good many people will eat them un-iced including me (Holly), Memaw (my mom's mom) and Ed. We love them without icing the most, that is how good this recipe is!
But I'm going to share with you the icing secret just in case you want the full Donya Cookie Experience, lol! The icing recipe is literally just powdered sugar and water, that's it! She likes a simple glaze icing ... never royal. ;) She also likes to say, "these are homemade cookies, Holly. Not the fancy ones you do over there yonder at The Sugar Art!"
Of course I know this, I've been decorating these cookies my whole life! The tools my family uses aren't fancy either, just tiny little spoons to spread the glaze icing all over the cookie and tooth picks for some detail work. HAHA! For real, this is what we do to decorate the best sugar cookies ever.
But that all changed a little the day I met Edward Frys in 2011, the cake guy, and he helped the cookie situation elevate a little bit ever since. We fought against it initially, demanding tradition and never changing how we decorate our cookies ... but the second DiamonDust came into the picture, we collectively agreed Ed's way was the best way.
I'll never forget the first cookie he decorated our first Christmas together. It was a snowman and he painted the most intricate face on that little guy, we were all amazed! Dad said, "I guess he's a really good cake decorator." haha! None of us had really seen him work up until that point, myself included, and to say he stole the show was an understatement. He stole my heart that Christmas, and everyone else's.
So all of our technique has improved some since then, especially mine, and he has hooked us up with vibrant gel colors, luster dust and the prettiest edible glitter ever since! Everyone now LOVES decorating Donya's sugar cookies, because Ed's got all the "cool stuff." And mom definitely loves having another baking enthusiast in the family. They have a very sweet relationship too, pun intended. They constantly bond over shared recipes and Ed's always trying to bake my favorite childhood sweets. Mom's the first person he calls when he can't quite get it perfect, and I'm just so blessed to have this guy in my life.
I'm also so blessed to have the mom I had, too.
So while this may seem like a basic sugar cookie recipe, I assure you it is not. It is an evolution of love, sacrifice and tradition all packed into one little cookie recipe. It is also the perfect balance between sweet and salty. A buttery dream of a cookie with the most impeccable snap you'll ever hear! And it all started with my great-grandmother, who taught my mother, who worked on it throughout my childhood and made it what it is today.
Donya's "Famous" Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe. :) So sit back and watch The Cake Guy work!
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever
What you'll need:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Cup Salted Butter
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon of heavy cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2.5 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt (yes, even more salt)
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk (or heavy cream)
In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt and baking powder.
Then stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Mix well.
Roll the dough.
Cut the cookies into shapes and lay on your baking sheet.
Chill for 15 minutes.
Bake at 350 Degrees for 12 minutes.
Then rotate pan and bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until the edges are barely golden.
And voila, the best sugar cookie recipe ever is COMPLETE!
THANK YOU & IP Notice
We appreciate your support so much and hope you enjoyed the story of the best sugar cookie recipe ever! I'm so glad I was able to share with you a little piece of my (Holly's) personal family history and I know if you give this cookie recipe a try, you will absolutely love that you did!
Please understand this sugar cookie recipe is apart of my family legacy and is not permitted to be re-distributed or sold by any other persons or companies. By having it on The Sugar Art Inc.'s website, it is now copy-written and protected by Intellectual Property Law. This is a very special part of my family's history that we will protect, and appreciate your understanding.
We hope you have a warm, beautiful and blessed holiday season.
Merry Christmas, y'all!
Holly Frys
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever.
