My Grandma’s Rolled Sugar Cookies are so delicious and the perfect sweet treat for any occasion! Rolling out the cookie dough while sneaking a bite of sugary goodness is definitely my favorite part.
I’ve been baking these cookies with my grandma since I had to stand on a stool to reach the counter. She would only bake cookies for Christmas, but it was one of my favorite days of the year. She’d put on her Steeler’s football apron, take out her recipe book, and we’d get to work baking all day.
My grandma always said the only time we could make the Rolled Sugar Cookies was for Christmas. I think it was her excuse to only have to bake them once a year. She’s not really a fan of baking. Now, I bake them for any occasion. Sorry, grandma. Your secret is out. These yummy Rolled Sugar Cookies aren’t just for Christmas. They are great any time of the year.
Kitchen Tool Must-Haves
My grandma always insisted that her mother’s cookies should never be mixed with a stand mixer. But I never listen and you really can’t tell the difference. These Rolled Sugar Cookies don’t take many kitchen tools, but here’s what you do need:
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Sheet
- Rolling Pin
- Large Round Cookie Cutter (or a cup works great too!)
Ingredients You Will Need
The best part about these soft and chewy Rolled Sugar Cookies is that you probably already have all the ingredients you need. This is what it takes:
Cookies
- Sugar
- Vegetable Shortening
- Flour
- Eggs
- Milk (dairy or any nut milk)
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Icing
- Evaporated Milk
- Powdered Sugar
- Food Coloring
- Flavoring (optional)
Tips On Mastering Grandma’s Rolled Sugar Cookies
It took several years of helping my grandma bake the Rolled Sugar Cookies before I was allowed to take on this recipe by myself. In the original recipe, it simply lists “flour”. There is no exact measurement, and it just states “the dough needs to be the right amount of stickiness”. Like, what the hell does that mean, grandma? But I did learn, and now I have some tips to share with you!
- The Flour – We can always add more flour, but we can’t take it away. The dough should still be pretty sticky when you transfer it to a very, VERY well-floured surface. Continue adding a little bit of flour at a time, until it’s possible to start rolling out the cookie dough. Remember to flour your rolling pin.
- The Cookie Cutter – These Rolled Sugar Cookies raise a lot in the oven. With that being said, this recipe is not cut out for cutting out detailed shapes. I definitely recommend sticking to a round cookie cutter. Also, I probably wouldn’t use too small of a cookie cutter. Bigger is better in this case. And don’t forget to flour the cookie cutter too!
- The Sifting – I recommend sifting the flour. I’ve skipped this step before because, let’s face it, it’s time-consuming and cookies are meant to be quick to make. So while it’s not an essential step, I do think it makes enough of a difference that I recommend doing it.
- The Milk – Not really a tip here, but the milk can be substituted for any milk. I’ve used dairy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk (not the can), and they still come out delicious!
Grandma’s Rolled Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4½-5 cups flour
Icing
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp evaporated milk
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all ingredients except the flour to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- Add 4 ½ cups of flour to the dough and mix. Add up to another ½ cup of flour until dough is still sticky, but manageable enough to turn out onto a well-floured surface. Continue working a little bit of flour into the cookie dough until you’re able to start rolling it out. Avoid adding too much flour. It is supposed to be a little sticky.
- Roll out dough to ⅜ inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Gently place cut dough on a cookie sheet.
- Bake for 11 minutes.
- Let cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Icing
- Mix powdered sugar and evaporated milk together in a small bowl. Add more sugar or milk if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Add food coloring.