Q1: Why is my dough so crumbly?

It's supposed to be! This is a classic, "short" dough. The secret is to use your hands at the very end to gently knead and press the dough together for a "few turns," as Grandma directs. The warmth of your hands will help it form a cohesive ball.

Q2: Why did my cookies spread out and go flat?

The most common culprits are butter that was too soft (or melted) or not chilling your dough. The 30-minute chill is the non-negotiable secret that will solidify the fats in the dough and guarantee your cookies hold their beautiful, sharp edges.

Q3: Can I make this with all shortening?

This recipe's unique flavor comes from the all-butter base. While using shortening would make the cookies very tender, you would lose all that delicious, rich, buttery flavor that is the signature of this old-fashioned cookie.

Q4: Do I have to use heavy cream?

The high fat content in the heavy cream is the secret to the rich, tender texture. If you are in a pinch, you can substitute it with whole milk, but the final cookie will be slightly less rich.

Q5: Can I make this in a food processor?

Yes, absolutely! It's even faster. Simply pulse your dry ingredients first. Add your cold butter and pulse 8-10 times, until you have those pea-sized bits. Then, with the machine running, pour your egg and cream mixture in and pulse just until the dough begins to come together.

Sugar Cookies (A Classic Cut-Out Recipe!)

A classic, old-fashioned recipe for ‘Grandma Minnie’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies.’ This simple, buttery cut-out cookie dough is made using a pastry-blender method, cutting cold butter into the flour. The dough is chilled, rolled thin, cut into desired shapes, sprinkled with sugar, and baked at a high temperature until the edges are just golden, resulting in a tender, classic cookie.

Author: Evelyn

Ingredients

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar (for dough)
1 cup butter (implied: cold)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Extra white sugar (for sprinkling)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare ungreased baking sheets.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of sugar together in a large bowl until combined.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture using two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, which should take about 2 minutes.
Stir in the beaten egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until the dough comes together and forms a soft ball (about 1 minute).
Chill the dough for 30 minutes, if desired, to make rolling easier.
On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness.
Sprinkle the surface of the dough lightly with additional sugar.
Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
Transfer the cookies to the ungreased baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

This is a classic ‘tea cake’ or old-fashioned cut-out sugar cookie.
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes, while optional, is highly recommended by the recipe tip to make the soft dough easier to roll.
The cookies are decorated simply by sprinkling them with sugar *before* baking.
The dough is made using a pastry blender method (cutting in cold butter), not the creaming method.

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/sugar-cookies/