Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Base
- 375 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking powder
- 3 g salt
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting Base
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened
- 240 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 15 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 1 g salt
Mocha Flavoring (For Half the Frosting)
- 15 g cocoa powder
- 3 g instant espresso powder
- 5 ml warm water
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 237 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 88 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 38 mg
- Potassium
- 39 mg
- Calcium
- 19 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 8 mg
- Phosphorus
- 34 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 101 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 6 mcg
- Water
- 7 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 5 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
Scoop the dough into 30g portions, roll into smooth balls, and place them 5cm apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten the tops slightly.
Bake in the preheated 175°C (350°F) oven for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, make the frosting base. Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
Divide the vanilla frosting equally into two bowls. In a small ramekin, dissolve the espresso powder in the warm water. Add this espresso mixture and the cocoa powder to one of the frosting bowls and mix until completely smooth to create the mocha frosting.
Once the cookies are entirely cool to the touch, use a butter knife or small offset spatula to spread the vanilla frosting onto half of the cookies, and the mocha frosting onto the other half.
Chef's Notes
- Sifting your powdered sugar is crucial for a perfectly smooth frosting without gritty lumps.
- For the cleanest mocha flavor, ensure the espresso powder is fully dissolved in the warm water before adding it to the buttercream; dry granules will leave bitter spots.
- The secret to a tender sugar cookie is not overmixing the dough. Once the flour is added, stop the mixer as soon as the white streaks disappear.
- If you prefer a stronger coffee flavor in your mocha frosting, increase the espresso powder to 5g, but keep the warm water volume the same to avoid splitting the buttercream.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container in a single layer to protect the frosting.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unfrosted cookies and frosting in separate airtight containers.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread too much and became flat during baking.
Cause: The butter was too warm or melted, or the dough was handled in a hot environment.
Fix: Immediately after removing from the oven, use a large round cookie cutter or a glass to gently swirl around the hot cookies to push the edges back into a perfect circle.
Prevention: Ensure butter is only softened to room temperature (leaves a slight indent when pressed, but retains its shape). If your kitchen is warm, chill the rolled dough balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking.
Frosting is too runny and slides off the cookie.
Cause: Too much liquid was added or the butter was too warm.
Fix: Sift in additional powdered sugar, 15g at a time, until the frosting thickens.
Prevention: Add milk very gradually, 5ml at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
Frosting melts off the cookie.
Cause: Cookies were frosted while still warm.
Fix: Scrape off the melted frosting, let cookies cool completely, and try again with fresh frosting.
Prevention: Ensure cookies are 100% cooled to room temperature before frosting.
Cultural Context
The modern sugar cookie finds its roots in the mid-1700s with the German Protestant settlers in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, who created the round, buttery 'Nazareth Sugar Cookie'. Today, the soft-baked sugar cookie topped with a thick layer of buttercream is a staple of American bakeries and grocery stores, often adapting flavors like mocha to satisfy a more adult palate while keeping the comforting texture of a childhood favorite.
