Aunt Clara’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with Maple Tops

These sour cream sugar cookies are unique thanks to their soft and pillowy texture.

These Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are a family recipe handed down through my great-Aunt Clara, grandmother and mom.

They are like no other sugar cookie I’ve had, which tend to be thin and chewy or very crispy. The texture of these treats is somewhere between a cookie and a biscuit.

They are flavored with a hint of nutmeg and orange.

I added my own twist to the family recipe: a sweet maple glaze. Drizzled over the tops, this glaze puts these cookies right over the top!

These cookies were always on hand at holiday time when we were kids, and the flavors are perfectly suited to the season!

The recipe is below, and here are some other cookie recipes for you as well!

Aunt Clara’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with Maple Tops

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: Sweet

Keyword: sugar cookies

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Setting Time for Glaze: 30 minutes

Total Time: 53 minutes

Servings: 40 cookies

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

Sugar cookies with a unique, pillowy texture and soft spice flavor, with a sweet maple-glazed top!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4-1/3 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup Vermont maple syrup
• 1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat together the softened butter and sugar for 5 minutes until they are light and fluffy. With the mixer running add in the whisked eggs and mix to combine them. Mix in the orange juice and then the sour cream, until the batter is smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the batter in two or three additions, mixing after each addition to incorporate it. The batter will be thick and sticky.
• Use a 1-1/2 tablespoon sized scoop to drop mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, about two inches apart. If you don't have a scoop do rounded tablespoons of batter. *Note: keep the rest of the batter waiting in the fridge between bakes. If the batter gets too warm the texture of the cookies will be affected. 
• Bake the cookies for about 18 minutes until they are set and beginning to lightly brown around the edges. The cookies should only spread a little if at all. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
• Use a mixer to combine the maple syrup and the confectioner's sugar until the mixture is smooth. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, or use a spoon to drizzle it over the tops, and then place them on a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to rest until the glaze has set: about 30 minutes.
• Makes about 40 cookies. Store the cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Create, Be Curious, Celebrate, with Food!

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 47mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3.9% | Vitamin C: 0.3% | Calcium: 2% | Iron: 3.9%

Originally published November 2017.