“When I think about the kind of sugar cookie I have loved most throughout my life, I always go back to a big, chewy-cakey cookie that has the perfect balance of butter, vanilla, and sweetness,” writes Ree Drummond, better known as the Pioneer Woman, in her latest cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks―The Essential Recipes: 120 Greatest Hits, New Twists, and Perfected Classics.
Drummond’s sugar cookie recipe made the cut for the cookbook, which came out in October, and it makes a compelling case for those chewy, cakey qualities. “While these are delicious on their own, I sometimes spread icing on them to make them ultra luscious and to decorate them for different holidays,” she writes. (She prefers a homemade buttercream as the perfect canvas for sprinkles or other decorations; more on that below.)
Drummond has other tricks for jazzing the cookies up: You can substitute vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract, or, instead of granulated sugar, roll the dough in white or colored sanding sugar. You can dye your buttercream green or red, too, of course. But the best tip of all? Layer a scoop of coffee ice cream between two cookies, freeze the whole thing, and treat yourself to an ice cream cookie sandwich.
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