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Sour Cream Softies

Sour cream and butter make these cutout cookies impossibly soft, and a quick chill keeps the dough easy to roll and cut into whatever shape the occasion calls for. Once the cookies cool completely, a simple cream cheese frosting creates a canvas for your favorite sprinkles and toppings (we especially love a dusting of freshly ground nutmeg for these).

The soft crumb starts with a full cup of Hiland Dairy sour cream and butter, creamed together until light, while vanilla extract adds a warm, rounded sweetness that carries through both the cookie and the frosting. Two eggs from Hansen’s Eggs keep the dough rich, and Shawnee Mills all-purpose flour delivers the softness.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

 

For the frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and mix until combined.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg-sugar mixture and mix just until blended. Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out cookies using a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass dusted with flour. Bake cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and evaporated milk together with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla, salt, and confectioners sugar and beat until well blended. Tint as desired. Wait until cookies are completely cooled before frosting.

TIPS:

  • If you’re short on time the day-of, the dough can chill for up to 24 hours instead of just one. Colder dough holds its shape even better once it hits the oven.
  • For a citrus variation, swap the vanilla in the frosting for orange or lemon zest. The bright, fresh flavor pairs especially well with a lightly tinted frosting for spring holidays.
  • Store frosted cookies in a single layer in an airtight container. If you need to stack them, separate the layers with parchment paper so the frosting doesn’t smudge.