I confess that in my former life, i.e., my pre-Alaska life, I may have enjoyed my fair share of those big fat Lofthouse frosted sugar cookies they place strategically all over the grocery store with their alluring seasonal colors and sprinkles. Whew… I’m glad I got that off my chest. You know exactly which ones I’m talking about.
I also confess that I just made yet another recipe with Greek yogurt. Whoops. Sorry about that. This will be the last one for a little while. Promise. But, the yogurt is the little bit of magic in these cookies… like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow magical. They practically melt in your mouth they’re so soft. In case you’re thinking I added the yogurt to these cookies to make them lower in fat or higher in protein, I really didn’t (although those are great benefits, too). I added it simply because it makes these cookies even better than the store-bought Lofthouse variety. You can substitute sour cream in this recipe if you don’t have or don’t like Greek yogurt. I’ve made them both ways.
As soon as I posted a preview of these cookies to Instagram and Facebook, I received two very sweet requests from kids (via their parents) begging for these for their birthdays coming up this week. So, a big happy birthday to you both! I truly hope you love these cookies as much as my kids do and that this birthday will be the best yet.
Big Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies made with Greek Yogurt
Big soft Lofthouse style frosted sugar cookies made with Greek Yogurt. Adapted from [Two Peas and Their Pod|http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/lofthouse-style-soft-sugar-cookies/]
Yields: About 2 dozen cookies
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- For the Frosting*:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- food coloring, as desired
- sprinkles, as desired
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Incorporate the eggs, followed by the vanilla, and the yogurt, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Gradually add the dry ingredients until it all just comes together. The dough will be sticky.
Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 425, placing oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap the dough and place it onto a floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour also. Roll the dough to 1/3-inch thickness. Cut the dough with a round cutter (about 2-3-inch size cutter). Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake the cookies 6-7 minutes until cooked through and golden on the bottom (mine were perfect at 6 minutes. Be careful not to over bake. You don't want any color on the top of sides of the cookies, just the bottom). Transfer cookies immediately to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
!To Make Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Reduce speed and add the powdered sugar gradually. Add the cream, then increase the speed and beat frosting until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add food coloring as desired, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Frost cookies (I used a piping bag with a large round tip in a round swirling motion, then used a small off-set spatula to lightly spread the frosting). Sprinkle the cookies with sprinkles as desired directly after frosting so that the sprinkles will adhere.
Store cookies in an airtight container.