The Best Sugar Cookies?

There’s a question mark at the end of the title here because if anything is subjective, it’s the goodness of a sugar cookie. Do you like them crispy? Soft? Fluffy? Dense? Super sweet, or should the frosting take care of that? I’ll give you my grandma’s recipe, which creates a scarily delicate dough that bakes up into my personal favorite sugar cookies. They’re not soft or cakey, but not crispy or crunchy. I guess they’re kind of chewy? But not too chewy. They aren’t super sweet, and depending on how much nutmeg you dash into them, they have a little more oomph than just “sugar and butter flavored.” Plus, they possess that special quality that makes you keep eating them, along with any leftover dough you try to keep in the freezer.

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a food processor with the dough blade, or a stand mixer with the dough hook, or a bowl with your cavewoman hands, cream:
1 cup softened butter
1 cup lard (or Crisco)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
dash of nutmeg

Sift together and slowly add to your creamed mixture:
4 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping tsp baking powder

Be careful not to over-mix. Just when the dough comes together, turn it out onto a floured surface and separate into two hunks. One at a time, roll to roughly 1cm thick with a floured rolling pin. Try not to knead the dough or work with it too much. Cut out cookies with cookie cutters or a knife and arrange about an inch or two apart on a baking sheet. Bake until golden for I don’t know how long, 8–10 minutes probably? Just look at them and take them out before they turn a tan color all the way across the tops. Remove to cooling racks. Repeat.

Here’s the best frosting for these. I like to make a few bowls of different colors and frost each cookie entirely, then go back over them with sprinkles or those colored icing tubes.

What’s your recipe?

Related: any suggestions for a yummy, substantial (filling) finger/walking around/no fork-and-plate needed food to serve at a holiday party? This soppressata and cheese in puff pastry was a hit last year, but I’d like to try something new.