Mrs. Z’s Famous Cookies
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It’s difficult for me to describe these cookies, as they have been a treasured recipe for the entirety of my life and are unlike any other cookie recipe I have yet to come across! These bite-sized sugar cookies literally melt-in-your-mouth. My grandma used to make these every Christmas, and I would gladly gobble up an entire plate without thinking twice. They were my dad’s favorite growing up, too, and they quickly became a favorite of friends and guests that we made them for. Each bite is a crispy and delicious taste of butter and sugar, and you will soon find out how addicting they are!
What are Mrs. Z’s Cookies?
As the story goes, my grandma came across these cookies from a neighbor who passed along her secret recipe and made some improvements of her own. Hence, the name of the cookies stuck!
These cookies are similar to sugar cookies, though with some changes to the method of how the dough is mixed and additional ingredients. Traditionally, my grandma would roll the cookies in red or green sanding sugar for a festive appearance for Christmas.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies:
Easy to Make. Just like most cookie recipes, these cookies are easy to make and quick to whip up! This recipe doesn’t require any chilling, so you can easy have a batch ready in about an hour.
Addictingly Delicious. Like I said before, these cookies are addicting! They are made small, so they can easily pop them into your mouth at an alarming rate.
Cute and Festive. Because they’re small, they make for a super cute cookie that can easily be spread throughout your holiday cookie plates and tins! With festive red and green sprinkles, they look perfect in Christmas cookie spreads.
Gathering Ingredients:
Butter. For this recipe, I prefer to use salted butter as there is no added salt in the recipe. The butter should be softened to room temperature.
Sugar. You will need granulated sugar for this recipe.
Baking Soda. The baking soda is necessary for this recipe to work as it activates with the acidity from the vinegar.
Distilled White Vinegar. Vinegar may seem like a strange ingredient in a cookie, but in this recipe it is what gives the cookies their meltable quality!
Vanilla Extract.
Flour. All-purpose flour is the best option for these cookies.
Sanding Sugar. While not necessary, coating the cookies in sanding sugar helps bring out the sweetness and adds a lovely crunchy texture!
How to Make Mrs. Z’s Cookies:
Step One: Preheat the oven to 275° F (135° C). Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set these aside for now.
Step Two: In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, baking, vinegar, and vanilla on high speed for 20 minutes. Do not beat for less time but keep an eye on the bowl. Occasionally, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that the butter and sugar is being evenly mixed. After 20 minutes, the butter should be almost white in color and very creamy and fluffy.
Step Three: On low speed, mix in the flour until a soft dough forms. It should be pillowy.
Step Four: Scoop balls of dough with a spoon or cookie scoop that are about 2 teaspoons (10 ml) in size. Place the sprinkles in separate small dishes (if you are using both colors) and roll the cookies in the sprinkles so they are fully coated on all sides.
Step Five: Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets about 1-inch (2.5-cm) apart. Bake the cookies for 22 to 25 minutes or until they edges are lightly golden and the center is set. Remove the trays from the oven and transfer the cookies to wire cooling racks to finish cooling.
Tips for Making Perfect Mrs. Z’s Cookies:
Temper the Butter. Before mixing the dough, make sure that you bring the butter to room temperature. Ideally, the butter should be around 62° F (16° C).
Weigh Ingredients. For the most accurate results, it can be helpful to weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale.
Beat the Butter for 20 Minutes. One of the secrets to these sugar cookies is that the butter is creamed with the sugar for 20 minutes. Most other cookie recipes only cream butter and sugar for about 2 to 5 minutes. This creates large air pockets in the butter, giving them a light and airy texture.
Bake at Low Temp. These cookies are baked at 275° F (135° C) for about 22 to 25 minutes. This allows them to become crispy and prevents them from overspreading in the oven.
SErving Suggestions:
Serve these cookies with a mug of hot cocoa or a glass of milk for a classic holiday pairing. They also make stunning additions to cookie platters or festive dessert tables. Find them in My 2022 Christmas Cookie Box!
Final Thoughts:
Like I said, it’s difficult to describe these little buttery pockets of deliciousness, but I hope that you are convinced! These are my most favorite cookie of all time, and they are worth all of the hype. I love their flaky and airy texture and buttery, sweet flavor. These little melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies are truly a treat. You will love these in your next Christmas Cookie Box!
xoxo Kayla
Mrs. Z's Famous Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (232 g) salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (113 g) red and/or green sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275° F (135° C). Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set these aside for now.
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, baking, vinegar, and vanilla on high speed for 20 minutes. Do not beat for less time but keep an eye on the bowl. Occasionally, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that the butter and sugar is being evenly mixed. After 20 minutes, the butter should be almost white in color and very creamy and fluffy.
- On low speed, mix in the flour until a soft dough forms. It should be pillowy.
- Scoop balls of dough with a spoon or cookie scoop that are about 2 teaspoons (10 ml) in size. Place the sprinkles in separate small dishes (if you are using both colors) and roll the cookies in the sprinkles so they are fully coated on all sides.
- Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets about 1-inch (2.5-cm) apart. Bake the cookies for 22 to 25 minutes or until they edges are lightly golden and the center is set. Remove the trays from the oven and transfer the cookies to wire cooling racks to finish cooling.
- The cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for about 5 to 6 days, or they can be frozen for about 6 months.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
60Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
