Mini Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

These Mini Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies are perfect for parties. They are quick to make, your guests will love them and they are colorful and festive. You can tint the frosting any color you like and a spattering of colorful sprinkles adds a nice touch.

The addition of sour cream in the batter makes them very soft and tender and from a single recipe you'll get at least 80 cookies.

Here's the recipe:

Mini Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
(makes 80 1.5-inch cookies)

2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 1/2 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. The recipe makes enough cookies to fill six sheetpans so you will most likely have to rotate using the same sheetpan and bake the cookies in batches. For these, it's okay to reuse the parchment paper.

Cream together the butter, shortening, almond extract, vanilla and sugar. Add the sour cream and eggs and mix well. Add the baking powder, salt and flour and mix just until the dough comes together.

Use a 1-inch scoop to drop cookies onto the lined sheepans, spacing them at least 1.5-inches apart. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, just until the edges are golden brown.

Frost the cookies when they are cool.

Frosting
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
About 1/4 cup of milk or cream
Food coloring, optional
Sprinkles, optional

Mix together the shortening and sugar, the mixture will be dry. Add the vanilla and mix again. Add the milk a few tablespoons at a time. You want to add just enough milk to make the frosting smooth and spreadable. You don't want it too thin. Tint the frosting, if desired.

To Assemble:
Add about 1 teaspoon of frosting to the top of each cookie and use a small table knife to spread it around, keeping it 1/4-inch from the edges of the cookie. I found it easiest to put the frosting in a disposable pastry bag and pipe about 1 teaspoon onto the top of each of the cookies. Top the frosted cookies with sprinkles, if desired.

Adding the frosting. I found it easiest to pipe a dollop of frosting onto each cookie and then use a small table knife to spread it around.

All done!

One Batch Of Sugar Cookies

The cookie question I get asked over and over again is "how many sugar cookies does your recipe make?"

Well,  that's a hard question to answer because it all depends on the size of the cookie cutters you use.

So to help answer the question here's a picture of the all the Easter cookies I got from one batch of dough using an assortment of cutters from 1.5-inches (the small rabbit) to 3.5-inches (the large round and rectangle).  I hope this visual helps.

Here's my favorite tried and true sugar cookie recipe:

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until blended, then beat on high speed until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add flour and salt; beat on low speed until combined, then on medium speed until well blended. Divide dough into two equal portions. Place dough between sheets of plastic wrap. Press evenly into a disk and chill until dough is firm, at least 20 minutes. Working with one portion of dough at a time (keep remaining chilled), peel off plastic wrap and roll on a floured board until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with floured cutters and transfer onto bare baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees (325 for convection) for 7 to 9 minutes or until firm to the touch and slightly darker brown around edges. Cool on wire racks.