Simple Sugar Cookies

45 Ratings
  • 5 9
  • 4 8
  • 3 12
  • 2 14
  • 1 2

These "trees" are made from stacks of sugar cookies coated with white icing. See our Royal Icing recipe.

Martha Stewart Living, December 2000

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Credit: Gentl and Hyers

Recipe Summary

Yield:
Makes 7 dozen
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Sift together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda; set aside. Place butter, olive oil, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium until fluffy.

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  • Beat in eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest until well combined. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture slowly, until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees. Form dough into balls measuring about 1 inch in diameter, and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches part. Press flat with a glass dipped in sugar. Place cookies in oven, and bake until very lightly golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

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Reviews (10)

45 Ratings
  • 5 9
  • 4 8
  • 3 12
  • 2 14
  • 1 2
Martha Stewart Member
12/26/2010
Greasy- not good at all! I questioned the use of 1 cup of olive oil but trusted the reviews. I wonder if there isn't a typo in the recipe. These are the first cookies I've ever made that I've actually thrown away.
Martha Stewart Member
12/11/2008
I used a set of snowflake cookie cutters instead of the stars and the tree looks adorable!
Martha Stewart Member
11/26/2008
Does anyone know if the cream of tartar is necessary? I'm allergic to gluten and SOY, and the only gluten-free cream of tartar that I can find is in the UK and unable to ship to the US. Any suggestions??? (btw, i sub with rice flour
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Martha Stewart Member
01/12/2008
7 min. perfection! Salted butter works best for me though!
Martha Stewart Member
12/20/2007
if you use just one size of star cutter, make a layer of 6 spread on the bottom, not overlapping, and then continuously decreased the amount of cookies as you build towards the top of your cookie tower. less work, less money and fussing spent on numerous sizes of the same cookie cutter.
Martha Stewart Member
12/19/2007
My mom made these cookies and they are out of this world. These are the best butter cookies I have ever eaten. And,by the way, don't rely on the picture which, as someone else said, is misleading. These cookies are just formed into balls and then flattened. They are awesome and so very crispy. I like mine a little bit more than just lightly golden but kind of brownish. This makes them even crispier.
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Martha Stewart Member
12/18/2007
you need a set of graduated star cutters -- my set has 5. you make 2 or 3 of each size, and then stack them accordingly, leaving the one above askew from the one below. pretty cool lookin for something so simple!
Martha Stewart Member
12/18/2007
It looks to me like you can either make different sizes of star shaped cookies to get the visual display shown here, or make one sized star cookie and arrange them in such a way as to get this very nice display. Anyone else have any ideas of how you go about achieving the display shown?
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2007
Does this recipe really have 1 cup olive oil and 1 cup of butter? I want to make them for Christmas, but would like clarification. bcorton@hotmail.com Thanks.
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2007
The picture vs the recipe is misleading.....One would think the recipe is how to make what the picture is showing. Too bad, it is a great idea not covered in the recipe.
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