Iced Buttermilk Sugar Cookies
- MakesMakes about two dozen 2 ½-inch cookies (varies depending on shape and size of the cookies)
- Cook Time2½ hours
- Active time plus cooling1 hour active, plus cooling and drying
These frosted sugar cookies have the right amount of butter, sugar and salt to make them tasty, along with a little buttermilk for a subtle tanginess. And the dough handles nicely. The cornstarch keeps the gluten in check so the scraps, even after a couple of re-rolls, don’t bake up into tough cookies. For the icing, either fresh or pasteurized egg whites work. Make sure the iced cookies are fully dry before storing. They will keep in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature; refrigeration will turn the icing dull and sticky.
Don’t beat the butter and sugar at medium or medium-high speed. The aim is to incorporate as little air as possible during mixing so the cookies bake up flat, with no puffing or bubbling. After the second re-roll, the dough scraps may be unworkably soft and sticky. If that’s the case, gather them into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until the dough is once again firm and workable.
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