Hanukah is a time to come together and celebrate with friends and family. These frosted vanilla cookies are the perfect treat to bring to your next get-together!
These are copycat Lofthouse cookies, the soft, frosted sugar cookies like you find at Walmart. They are simple to make and everyone loves them! Happy Hanukah!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Cookies are a popular Hanukkah treat and these frosted vanilla cookies are delicious and easy to make. They are perfect for a party or for any other Hanukkah occasion.
This recipe for soft vanilla cookies requires no chilling, and makes about 18 cookies. These copycat Lofthouse frosted sugar cookies are sure to be a hit!
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Ingredients
You will be using powdered sugar and a small amount of cornstarch to achieve these light, soft textured Lofthouse sugar cookies. Since this sugar cookie recipe doesn't require chilling, you can make them any time!
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter, unsalted
- Egg
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cream of Tartar
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Buttercream Frosting (store bought or our Easy Cream Cheese Frosting)
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Frosted Vanilla Cookies
These soft vanilla cookies form the base for any holiday you want to make them for. I'm including the buttercream frosting recipe in the recipe card below also, but you can use a tub of frosting and then simply tint it.
Heat the oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside until ready to bake the cookies.
Step 1. Mix Ingredients
Cream the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and mix again until blended.
Combine all the dry ingredients into a bowl and use a whisk to combine them.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 2. Make the Cookie Dough
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Using a hand mixer, mix until all the flour is mixed in. The dough will be clumpy, so use a spatula to scrape the sides. Use an ice cream scoop and make 18 balls.
Roll the balls smooth, then press into discs about 3" diameter. Set on parchment covered cookie sheet and bake 9 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack after 5 minutes.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 3. Mix and Tint the Buttercream
Divide the buttercream frosting between two bowls. Add dark blue food color gel to one.
Blend the food color gel to get the shade of blue you want. Set up the Hanukkah sprinkle decorations.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Frost after the baked soft vanilla cookies have completely cooled. Set the wire rack of cookies in the baking pan. This will catch any decorating sprinkles.
Frost each cookie and set it on the tray. After all are frosted, sprinkle the decorations onto the cookies. You can use sprinkles for any holiday, but the blues and silver are what make these frosted sugar cookies special for Hanukkah.
These beautiful cookies would be fabulous at this years annual Holiday Cookie Swap! Or just a delicious addition to your Holiday baking and gift giving. For more festive Christmas and Hanukkah recipes see our Potato Latkes, Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies, Blue Velvet Cookies, Cinnamon Rugelach, and you can never go wrong with Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Substitutions
If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
If you want chocolate cookies, substitute ¼ cup of cocoa powder for ¼ cup of the flour in the recipe.
Variations
You can decorate these soft vanilla cookies with any color of frosting, any color of sprinkles. Popular variations are:
- 4th of July Sugar Cookies - frost with white buttercream and decorate with a patriotic sprinkles blend.
- Easter Sugar Cookies - shape in circles or egg shaped ovals, then decorate with pastel buttercream. Sprinkle with an Easter or Spring themed sprinkle blend.
- Valentines Sugar Cookies - frost in white or pinks and decorate with at red, pink, white sprinkle blend.
Equipment
Storage
Let these cookies sit out for a few hours for the buttercream to firm up. Then transfer to plastic tubs on their sides. You can refrigerate or freeze.
Tips for Success
- Make sure you use powdered sugar.
- Only bake 9 minutes. The cookies will look pale and slightly underbaked. This is normal. When cool, they will be baked through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlike a standard sugar cookie, Lofthouse style cookies are made with both baking soda and baking powder for a softer, less crumbly texture. The dough also uses powdered sugar and cornstarch to keep the cookies light and moist.
Lofthouse cookies are the style of thicker, frosted cookies you find in a grocery store or stand-alone bakery. The official “Lofthouse sugar cookies” originated in1994 when Lofthouse Foods started producing cookies that were sold to in-store bakeries of US supermarkets.
No, the company is permanently closed. So, even the cookies in the grocery stores are now copycat, 🙂
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Hannukah Frosted Vanilla Cookies
Ingredients
For the Soft Vanilla Cookies
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 2½ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Buttercream
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 1 lb powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 oz Milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Dark Blue food coloring gel
- ¼ cup Decorating Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line twp rimmed cookie or baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla & almond extracts, mixing again to incorporate.1½ cup powdered sugar, 8 oz unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Use a whisk to blend all dry ingredients.2½ cup flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two portions, scraping the sides of the bowl each time to fully incorporate all the flour. Mix well.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up 18 equal sized portions onto the parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Roll each scoop so it forms a ball, then flatten to a disc about 3" diameter. Lay on the parchment about 2" apart. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove and place on wire rack to cool.
For the Buttercream Frosting
- Cream together the butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and blend in.8 oz unsalted butter, 1 lb powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the milk, salt, and mix until fully blended and smooth. Separate into two bowls and color one using the dark blue food gel colorant. Mix the bowl of tinted frosting until it is mixed in well.4 oz Milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Dark Blue food coloring gel
- Place a tablespoon of frosting in the middle of a cookie. Using a butter knife, press down on the frosting pile and move in a circular motion toward the outside edges of the cookie, spreading the frosting in a swirl motion. Lay bake on wire rack. Repeat for all cookies.
- After all the cookies are frosted either white or blue, set the wire rack into one of the baking sheets. This will catch any sprinkles. Scatter the Hanukkah sprinkles over the cookies. Let cookies set out for a few hours so that frosting sets up.¼ cup Decorating Sprinkles
Nutrition
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