Bakeat350 Sugar Cookies

So here are my awesome Halloween cookies for HALLOWEEN 2011. I ALWAYS use sweetsugarbelles recipe for my sugar cookies. Why? Because its the best. But then I started questioning myself. Is it "really" the best? Ive tried several other sugar cookies in the past and stopped when I discovered sugarbelles recipe because it was soooo good. I figured that there couldn't be a better sugar cookie recipe. But the Internet bloggers beg to differ. So I started doing a lot of online sugar cookie research. Verdict is. There are several sugar cookies that are so called "the BEST." Here's a list of the trendy blogger favorite:

bakeat350, ourbestbites and NFSC (which are the exact same and basically the same as bakeat350), Sweetsugarbelles, annie eats (which is similar to sugarbelles just 1/2 cup less powdered sugar- for who knows what reason, that cookie needs the full 1.5 cups powdered sugar,) sweetopia, peggy porschen, and iammommy. JUST TO NAME A FEW. And then there a lot of variations that stem from these recipes, like sweetapolita (similar to bakeat350). Anyways point is a lot of "best ever" sugar cookie recipes out there. And whats funny is Ive noticed that everyone who claims they have the best recipe hasn't tried the other ones. So my goal is to try all of these. I especially want to try Peggy Porschen. Whats unique about her recipe is that it doesn't have any baking soda or baking powder, because apparently leavening agents make for a puffier cookie that doesn't hold its shape as well. and leavening agents don't do anything for taste, so why have them in a cut-out cookie. This seems like a valid point to me, so I might start doing away w/ the Leavening agents(: So out of all of these interent popular sugar cookies I chose to 1st try bakeat350. mostly because it seems like anyone who tries it and then blogs about it has super pretty looking cookies come of it and also Bridget (owner of bakeat350 blog) has this one picture on her site of a sugar cookie that she made that makes you want to pull the cookie out of the commputer it just looks so perfect. Heres that picture...

That sugar cookie picture is my inspiration.. "sugar cookie perfection."

SO how did I like Bakeat350 sugar cookies and how did they compare to sugarbelles? The bakeat350 dough smelled amazing. Super buttery. I made sure to roll the dough like 3/8" thick. I only baked them 8 minutes because I wanted to make sure they were soft. I hate hard cookies. They baked up exactly how I expected them to. They tasted fabulous. Tasted a lot like the cookies from Provo Bakery... Shortbreadish like, I mean very buttery. But still not full on shortbread, because the recipe calls for one egg. Yet still that's less egg than most sugar cookie recipes out there. Do I like it better than sugarbelles? mmmm I say its 50:50. I like sugarbelles in that it uses powdered sugar which gives the cookie a unique tender texture (sort of melt in your mouth like). They're both super buttery they both have pretty much the same flour:butter:egg:sugar ratios. The pros on bakeat350 sugar cookie is that its definitely a sturdier cookie (meaning it wont break as easy). Sugarbelles recipe is pretty fragile, wouldn't be so good for shipping. I think I'll just have to stick with both recipes and use them according to circumstance(: But who knows, maybe peggy porshens cookie will win me over entirely, if that's even possible. these 2 cookies are both A-listers. OH, wait, so my momma just tried the cookies. she says she likes them better than sugarbelles... just to note. Oh, and FYI: I'll never go with a sugar cookie that has either cream cheese or sour cream in it, as a base ingredient. It can be in the frosting, but the cookie dough? bleh. It always makes them puffy and cardboardy gross tasting. Every gross sugar cookie ive either made or tasted had one of those 2 ingredients in the dough. Gross Gross. I go for just butter. "Butter is better!" Oh and another FYI: I dont like nor use Almond Extract. The few times in the past where I had put it in my cookies, my kids would say "they have a funny taste" or "these cookies taste weird" and then I though, "ya your right they do, its cuz of that gross almond stuff" so out went the almond extract. and i'm so glad its gone.

Bakeat350 Sugar Cookies

(original RECIPE)

3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar (I use sugar that I've stored vanilla beans in)
2 sticks (salted) butter, cold
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix butter w/ sugar till creamy. Add egg baking powder and vanilla. Mix well. Gradually add flour. Mix Well. Wrap dough in cling wrap. Chill 1 hour. Roll out on LIGHTLY floured surface 3/8" thick. Cut into shaped. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 8 min at 350. Frost and decorate as desired. (I used Basic Buttercream Icing.)