Cookie Weather

It was in the low 60's yesterday so I decided it was the perfect day to make cookies. One of my favorite cookies is a good sugar cookie. Unfortunately, I haven't found a recipe that equals the chewy goodness of the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix that comes in a pouch. I rarely make cookies from a packaged mix or that are the "Break and Bake" refrigerated type. If I'm going to have a cookie, I want one that's homemade.

My friend passed the following recipe on to me stating it's one of the best sugar cookie recipes she's come across so I decided to give it a try. I'm sharing it with her permission below. Let me know what you think.

Sugar Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar plus a bit more to be used later
2 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set it aside.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cream cheese. Add the warm, melted butter and oil until well mixed. Stir in the milk, egg, and vanilla until the batter is smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.

Pinch off a bit of dough (about the size of 2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Roll the ball into the granulated sugar that you set aside earlier and place on a baking sheet. Repeat the process until there are 12 balls on the baking sheet. Using the bottom of a greased glass, press each ball until each one is about 3 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a bit more of the loose sugar over each cookie.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are beginning to brown. Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 cookies.