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This simple vanilla cookie will be your new go-to easy cookie recipe. A soft and chewy classic vanilla cookie, it comes together in less than 10 minutes and is a super versatile base cookie recipe. Read my post for more information on how to make homemade cookies!
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for these classic vanilla cookies! They are a super simple drop cookie recipe (meaning that they are scooped out then baked on the pan, rather than a cut-out cookie). Full of vanilla flavor and the perfect texture, these are a go-to cookie recipe in our house!
These easy cookies come together in less than 10 minutes, and bake up to be super soft and chewy. The recipe is super similar to my funfetti sugar cookie recipe - If you like easy cookie recipes be sure to check out my easy chocolate crinkle cookies, my 30 minute gingersnap cookies, and of course my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.
These are going on my site as part of my holiday cookie recipes, but they truly are perfect any time of the year, not just as christmas cookies! You can finish them any way that you like - I rolled most of mine in granulated sugar, but also finished some with sprinkles similar to my sprinkle sugar cookies for a little festive touch. They are a great easy cookie recipe for kids too!
If you want a bar version of this vanilla cookie recipe, check out my super easy sugar cookie bars. If you're after a classic roll-out cookie for decorating, my easy sugar cookie recipe works great for this!
How to make homemade cookies
These soft vanilla cookies are super quick and simple to make with no chill time - they are a classic vanilla cookie and follow the standard format:
- Cream together the butter and sugar. This step helps provide aeration in the mixture, to give a light, fluffy vanilla cookie. Make sure your butter is properly room temperature, and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during the process to catch any stray unmixed bits. I like to add in the vanilla at this point too. I make my vanilla cookies in the stand mixer but it will work just as well with an electric mixer too!
- Add the egg. These classic vanilla cookies just have one egg to help hold everything together.
- Add dry ingredients. Sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt, add to the mixture, and mix until only just combined. Finish this step off by hand if you need to to ensure that you do not over mix the cookie batter.
- Scoop and roll. Scoop the cookies out onto your parchment paper lined baking sheet (I like to use a #40 or 2 Tbsp cookie scoop), then roll into balls and toss in granulated sugar or your finish of choice
- Bake. Bake the vanilla cookies in a preheated oven until they are just set around the edges and beginning to go golden brown. They will deflate a little when you remove them from the oven. If you would like them perfectly round, you can 'scoot' them into shape with a round cookie cutter hot from the oven. Cool on wire racks and then enjoy!
Can Vanilla Cookies be made ahead of time?
This cookie dough can be made ahead and frozen until you are ready to bake - check out my post on how to freeze cookie dough. Do not roll in sugar before freezing, do this just before you bake them.
I like to bring the cookie dough out 10 minutes or so before I bake it to help it defrost slightly and give the sugar something to stick to. To bake dough from frozen, drop the oven temperature a little and bake for a few more minutes than written in the recipe - you can find all the information on this in my post on how to freeze cookie dough.
Ideas for finishing Vanilla Cookies
I rolled these soft vanilla cookies in regular granulated sugar before I baked them, but you can switch this up as you like! Here are a few ideas:
- Roll in sprinkles. This is perfect for making these holiday themed or to fit any other colour scheme - instead of rolling in the granulated sugar, roll in nonpareils or hundreds and thousands before baking. The sprinkles I used for the cookies in this post are from Layer Cake Shop.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar. You can use my cinnamon sugar recipe to roll the cookies in before baking.
- Freeze dried fruit powder. Mix some freeze dried fruit powder of your choice with granulated sugar, then roll the cookies in the sugar and bake as normal.
How to make thick vanilla cookies
When I was testing this vanilla cookie recipe, I was tweaking the flour quantity within the recipe to make it slightly thicker. I usually only alter the flour content by about 15 or 20 grams - you can see in the image below what a difference just 15g flour in a recipe makes (and bear in mind this is spread across 22 cookies)
Please use a scale when you are baking. It is truly the only correct way to accurately measure flour, and truly makes such a big difference.
If you would like these vanilla cookies to be a little thicker, you can increase the flour by 15 grams. This makes the cookie a tiny bit less chewy, and a little softer.
The importance of checking the expiry date on baking soda
Another thing that is very important and will affect the outcome of your cookies is how old your baking soda is. I was caught out by this recently - I had added new baking soda to my container a few times without discarding the stuff at the bottom, which was older and had expired.
My cookies came out super flat and a few other things I made also didn't work as well as they could have, so I threw the whole lot away and replaced it, and it made a huge difference! Make sure that you check the expiry on your baking powder and baking soda if you aren't sure!
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools and equipment do you use?
You can find a full list of the tools and equipment I use on my products page
How do you store vanilla cookies?
Store vanilla cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can I use vanilla extract in place of vanilla bean paste?
Yes - it is a 1:1 sub. I love using a good quality vanilla bean paste but if you only have vanilla extract on hand, that is fine too!
Can I use salted butter?
Yes - if you only have salted butter that is fine, just omit the salt in the recipe. I usually call for unsalted butter in my recipes because butter is differently salted worldwide, but just make sure you salt to taste!
What is a good frosting for vanilla cookies?
My Brownie Frosting Recipe (aka sh*tty chocolate icing) would be amazing on these vanilla cookies!
For more drop cookie recipes, check out:
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
- Anzac Biscuits
- 30 Minute Ginger Molasses Cookies
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Soft and Chewy Classic Vanilla Cookies
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.7 from 50 reviews
- Author: Erin Clarkson
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutews
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 22 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This simple vanilla cookie will be your new go-to easy cookie recipe. A soft and chewy classic vanilla cookie, it comes together in less than 10 minutes and is a super versatile base cookie recipe. Read my post for more information on how to make homemade cookies!
Ingredients
Scale
- 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 300g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 320g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp (3g) kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper (you may have to bake these in several batches depending on how many trays your oven can tolerate).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together on high speed until light and fluffy (this step can also be done with an electric hand mixer). Add the egg and mix to combine. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Add to the mixer, and mix until just combined.
- Place the granulated sugar for rolling in a small bowl.
- Using a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough (about 45g each) onto the prepared baking sheets. I like to do 6-8 on each sheet - start with 6 to make sure that they will not join together, and then move to 8 on the next sheet once you know how much they spread.
- Roll each ball of dough between your hands to form a ball, then roll in the sugar before placing on the baking sheet. Leave any mixture that you are not baking off just yet in the bowl and scoop just before baking.
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until puffy and set around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 10 minutes - the cookies will deflate as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Repeat the baking process with the remaining cookie dough.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature
Key Ingredients
- Sprinkles
- Vanilla
« Soft Sugar Cookie Bars
25 minute Snickerdoodle Cookies »
Reader Interactions
stacycan't wait to make these
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- caribou
so good!
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- Maddy
Omg!! Yes!! Just made these!! Amazing..
Mine didn’t deflate heaps, buttttttt I rolled mine in cinnamon sugar and all I can say is “wow”Reply
- kolby
yes sir
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- Dani
These cookies had so many people asking for the recipe. I iced mine with cream cheese frosting and topped with 100’s and 1000’s. Delicious!
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- Talitha
yours look amazing!
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- Emilie
The simplicity of the perfection!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
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- Toni
I made this recipe and weighed the ingredients, but they cookies were mounded and never flattened.
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- Erin Clarkson
Hmmm something can't have gone right then - are you sure you used the right quantities?
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- Celine
Same…..I’m so sad. Did everything exact
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- Samone
I find the weather plays a part in weather my cookies flatten out or stay in little mounds! Made in a very warm day and they turned out very flat, and are so delicious and easy to whip up! Cloudy Kitchen is definitely my go-to now for quick easy and delicious baking with the kids
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- JB
Same as many here. Cookies were mounded, never flatened and the dough was dry. Converting to grams was a pain and probably were I went wrong. Great idea, but for me was a waste of time, money and energy.
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- Erin Clarkson
Yes, if you converted the recipe it was likely not accurate which is why they would not have flattened out.
- Jill
Oh my goodness! These cookies are so tasty and perfect. I made them with my toddler, and they came together so easily. The texture and flavor is amazing! We rolled them in Christmas sprinkles and they are darling. Excellent recipe - thank you!
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- Sarah
Love these, soft and chewy with a nice crunch from the sugar coating
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- Kayla
Wow wow wow! These are the absolute perfect texture, I didn't know such a simple cookie could be so delicious and amazing! The cookie texture is unreal and the classic vanilla flavour is perfect to go with a cup of tea or other warm beverage for maximum coziness! I will absolutely be making these again!
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- Diane
I just made these today. I like my cookies a bit fat so added in the extra flour. Easy recipie and very tasty 😋
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- Rachel
Quick, easy, and delicious! Perfect back pocket recipe for holidays and celebrations since you can roll them in whatever color sprinkles you like.
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- Meagan
These are so good! I was a little worried because I recently moved, and no longer have access to either a stand mixer or an electric beater. But I mixed them 100% by hand and they still turned out brilliant!
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- Jodi
Turned out absolutely delicious! I even convinced my sister to make some. Next time rolling in sprinkles.
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- Monique
Love this recipe.. easy to follow and make and YUMMY.. I took your advice and rolled these in sprinkles 😍
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- Marie
These are amazingly easy to throw together and SO DANG GOOD. My little three person family knocked them all out within 24hrs. They’re also cuuute. Perfect little treats. I also love that they’re called vanilla cookies, because these are so much better than sugar cookies!
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- Nicole
Made them today but added bar one chocolate pieces and ohhhh my goodness 😍🍫
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- Sameera
Perfect platonic ideal chewy sugar cookie with crisp edges. Baked for 10-12 minutes. Absolute perfection! Putting this one away for later…forever! No reason for me to try another recipe, honestly! Thank you, Erin!!!!
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- Yukari E.
This was a tasty and easy cookies! I had to try rolling the balled up dough in cute colored sprinkles as well. This will be my go-to quick cookie from now on! 😉 Delicious!!
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- Shari
Thanks for this terrific and well-explained recipe! My first batch just came out of the oven- delicious. I made a couple of tweaks -not because of any fault in the recipe but because I had a specific craving for a specific texture. I did use vanilla bean- yum, also swapped out 1/4c of the flour for almond flour and added 1/4c of quick-cook oats. Added 1/4t more baking soda and baked per directions. Cookies came out PERFECT, with the exact hint of nuttiness and texture I wanted. Thanks again!
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- Bavisha
Hi Erin
What is all-purpose flour. In South Africa we only get cake flour and white bread flour...which one can I use? Or would I need to mix it? If yes, what ratios?Reply
- Erin Clarkson
Hi! It's sometimes called 'plain' flour - the one you would usually use for baking cakes and cookies.
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- Elizabeth
These were simple, turned out exactly like the picture, and tasted good. Slam dunk. Love recipes that include measurements.
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- Nancy Hoekman
Am I able to substitute brown sugar for the white sugar? Thank you
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! No, brown and white sugars behave completely differently!
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- Nancy Hoekman
Ok thanks, I have read that using brown sugar produces a softer chewier cookie, is that correct?
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- Erin Clarkson
These are soft and chewy as is 🙂 It depends on the recipe but it's not a straight swap
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- Elona
We were babysitting for the grandkids and decided the recipe looked easy enough...it was! And absolutely delicious!
The only problem I had was my own fault, it wasn't my kitchen and I couldn't find the white sugar so used a larger grain demerara sugar. It left little crunchies in the cookies since the grains were too large and didn't have time to combine into the dough but even so we all loved them and they were gone within a day.
Will make again for sure with white sugar 😛Reply
- anneSee AlsoThe Best Cookies to Make in 2024
I love how you can't see the amount of butter, flour etc. to put in the cookies. 🙁
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi Anne, you must have missed it - you scrolled right past the recipe in your haste to leave a complaint.
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- Jennifer M
This recipe is flawless. Makes perfect, and I mean PERFECT, sugar cookies.
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- Nik
Absolutely delicious! The whole family loved them. Light, crispy yet a bit of softness, dangerously tasty.
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- IVY HART
I didn't roll them in sugar because my family prefers frosted sugar cookies, and they LOVED them! Simple and delicious. My new go to cookie recipe 😋
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- Alicia
I don’t know why but my batter was runny . Can someone please explain why
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- Erin Clarkson
Did you make the recipe by weight?
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- Erin
These are delicious and super easy to make! I added the extra 15g of flour for a softer cookie, and they're perfect! I also used some green sprinkles and they look so cool!
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- Christine
These are absolutely delicious! Even when made with defrosted dough! My husband says we can stop buying cookies & always have some dough in the freezer!
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- Tyler
Here's a tip, include volumetric quantities as an alternative. Most people do not have a scale, or if they do, the battery will be dead or...
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- Erin Clarkson
Here's a tip - if a free recipe isn't in a format that suits you, find a different one instead of being entitled and complaining....
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- Nadine
When a recipe specifies metric there is a darn good reason for it. Converting to volumetric will result in baking catastrophies unless the recipe is forgiving.
I followed this recipe to a T, and in fact was able to cut the recipe in half thanks to the precise weights supplied, and this recipe is chef's kiss!
Signed, an avid baker.
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- Amalie
Please provide conversion from weight to volumes (cups, spoonfuls). I am not cooking as a professional. A hassle for me to write in the converted measurements when using your recipes, so I have never used any.
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- Erin Clarkson
That's fine, if my recipes don't suit you you are welcome to find others which do 🙂 I do not test in cups so I do not have the conversions.
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- Naz
Tried this recipe but came out a bit cakey.... Wondering if I should leave out the baking soda next time?.....
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- Erin Clarkson
No they shouldn't be cakey - did you make the recipe by weight?
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- Amelia
this is my go to recipe for cookies now. I love the original, but I've also experimented with other flavors. I've added some mint extract and chocolate chips which turned out divine. I also have added tangerine extract and white chocolate chips for a creamsicle flavor. I'm going to try a chocolate espresso flavor soon. thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
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- cookie guru
Amazing! A little to much salt though. It also says to add vanilla twice. But it came out amazing!
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- Erin Clarkson
For next time, some salts are a little saltier than others! The one I use, kosher salt, isn't as salty as something like table salt. There's notes in the post linked just above the recipe card but just make sure you check the kind as it can make a difference!
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- Donna
These were delicious! Reminds me of snickerdoodles, especially the ones I dusted in cinnamon sugar. I noticed a couple comments about their cookies not flattening after being baked so after I rolled mine, I lightly pressed the cookie dough with 2 fingers. See the before and after cookies.
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- Dustin J Regimbal
Had just a bit of all purpose flour so used like an 80%gluten free mix and turned out amazing!
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- vil
just curious, does the measurement cups not exist where you’re from?
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- Erin Clarkson
It does, but it's not accurate so I don't use it. Same way I'm sure grams exists as a measurement where you are from (don't say it doesn't I lived in the US for a long time), you just don't use it 🙂
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- Andrew Johnshon
Your directions say to add the vanilla with the butter and sugar, but then it says to add the vanilla with the egg
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- Erin Clarkson
Thanks I'll edit that!
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- Andrew Johnshon
These were fantastic! Followed recipe to a T
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- Donna
Why is there only one vanillia ingredient but it says to add the vanilla in two separate steps at the beginning?
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- Erin Clarkson
It's just a typo 🙂
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- Donna
Cookies pressed before baking.
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- Lauren
These taste amazing!! I measured everything exactly as the recipe calls (by weight) and can’t figure out why they fell flat in the middle but puffed up at the edges.
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- Erin Clarkson
Maybe they weren't baked enough? Or your baking soda / powder may be expired!
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- Jennah
this recipe is PERFECT.
weigh your ingredients!!!Reply
- Adriana
I made these with both granulated sugar and sprinkles and they’re 10/10 absolutely love them and my friends did too
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- Roseena Hardcastle
This dough was super easy to make and was versatile for Christmas! I rolled half the dough in sprinkles and half in chocolate chips, but you could easily do other toppings and leave them plain. The cookies had great texture and were soft and chewy. I will definitely make them again!
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- Brianna
So easy to make and was something my daughter could help with by rolling the dough in sprinkles. Freezing them was also super easy and baking from frozen was a real game changer. These will be my go to for sure.
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- Elizabeth
Definitely a favorite recipe and has become a go-to of mine. So easy and quick to make. The texture is amazing! Perfectly chewy.
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- Kat Whipple
Let me tell you how I abused this dough. Made it ahead of time for gifting then ran out of time to bake. Tupperwared it and the dough got shoved into the back of the fridge, forgotten. Discovered one week later. Let it sit at room temp over night. Scooped rolled and baked next am. Perfect.
Thank you Erin for such a simple, reliable, beautiful recipe.
PS- added smidge nutmeg in dough and in rolling sugar. Super good.Reply
- Aubrey
So simple and turned out perfectly! Erin’s recipes never fail me and I love using my scale it’s so much faster and more accurate. I added a touch of peppermint extract to these at Christmas time and they were SO delicious!
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- Tertia
Half of the batch I baked after reading the comments so I flattened half atleast but tasty chewy delicious cookies, mm maybe the picture is misleading if most people's cookies didn't deflate I'm not sure but yea it's a yummy treat.
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- Erin Clarkson
Did you make the recipe by weight?
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- Kate Smith
The best cookie recipe I've come across. Thanks so much, they're amazing.
They were a little too sweet for my husband, but I think that was me being a bit over-enthusiastic in the sugar-rolling. I'm making again today, so I'll try to curb my sugar-craving!
If you're other recipes are as good as this one, I shall certainly be making more.
Thanks Erin. Greatly appreciate you taking the time to put this recipe up. X
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- Asher
I love these cookies - I tried sprinkles, coconut and normal surgar and they are so good!
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- neish
I made these, and they were mostly really good and easy to make, but they're super salty in some bites. I think I messed it up....
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- Erin Clarkson
Sounds like your salt wasn't properly incorporated! You could reduce it a little next time 🙂
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- bill
Initially used a 2T scoop & got a 3” cookie, so ended up doing heaping teasps. and got 2” cookies. Relatively thin & crisp. Decent flavor. Made about 60 cookies. The 10 min. cook time is deceiving if you are making normal sized cookies, and that’s without prep & clean up. Spritz cookies are simpler for a similar product.
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