Sugar cookies are a treat to bake, share and enjoy with loved ones throughout the holiday season. They’re fun to decorate and easy to make using just a few simple ingredients. Not surprisingly, nature’s oldest sweetener is one of them. Sugar is responsible for much more than the cookies’ taste (and name). Enjoy these fun facts and tips as you share these holiday treats in moderation.
- Sugar adds bulk and contributes to the cookies’ color. There are often different types of sugar used in a single recipe. With more light brown or dark brown sugar, the finished cookies will be darker in color.
- The modern sugar cookie was originally called the Nazareth Sugar Cookie, after German Protestants who settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and improved the recipe.1 When forming the dough, they made the cookies resemble the state’s keystone emblem.
- The technique known as creaming can help you create fluffier cookies and get more out of a single batch. When you properly cream butter and sugar, you’re adding air to the cookie dough, lightening it and giving yourself more to work with.
- In 2015, Pillsbury earned the world record for most cookies/biscuits iced in one hour, enlisting the help of shoppers at Mall of America to decorate a total of 1,169 sugar cookies.2
- Sugar is a necessity in the batter, but it’s also helpful to have on hand for decorating. Sanding sugar is a common topper for sugar cookies, as its crystals reflect light and produce a shiny, sparkly appearance.
Now that you know more about sugar cookies, it’s time to get baking. Explore a few of our favorite recipes:
References:
- What’s Cooking America. History of Cookies. Available at: https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/CookieHistory.htm. Accessed December 5, 2018.
- Pillsbury. Pillsbury Sets Cookie-Decorating World Record! (How Many? Come See!). Available at: https://www.pillsbury.com/holidays-celebrations/christmas/pillsbury-sets-cookie-decorating-world-record. Accessed December 5, 2018.
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