The Loft House Cookie

Once upon a time, on the shelves in the bakery section of a Super Target, a frosted vanilla cupcake and a sugar cookie fell in love. After a brief, but scrumptiously sweet courtship, they married and had a baby. Their baby became known as the Loft House cookie. True story.

I very rarely say anything is my absolute favorite, but here it goes...Of all the cookies I've ever eaten, the Loft House cookie is my FAVORITE. There I said it and I'm OK with this :) Within minutes of finding this recipe (I have my Pinterest addiction to thank) I was in the kitchen making them. Within moments of putting sprinkles on the last cookie I had eaten a quarter of a dozen. True story.

A few comments about this recipe: The dough is supposed to be very soft and tender. It's what gives it that cakey cookie quality. So only add the extra flour if the dough is too sticky to work with. Also, do not over bake. When I pulled my cookies out of the oven after 8 minutes, the tops and edges were still pale while the underside of the cookie was only slightly golden. This is what you want. Again, it results in a moist cookie. Happy baking, friends!

Loft House Cookies

adapted from Runs with Spatulas

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3-4 cups flour

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
Several drops food coloring
Rainbow colored sprinkles, not optional :)

In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, stir together 3 cups flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Slowly add in flour mixture, beating until all the flour is fully hydrated. Dough needs to obtain the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour, I needed the full cup). Dough will still be a bit on the sticky side. Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

Generously flour a work area and rolling pin. Remove one section of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on your work area. Roll dough out until 1/4 inch thick. Dough will be very sticky. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden (bottom of cookies should be a light brown). Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, storing any extra dough in the fridge while not in use.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Frosting should be easy to spread, but not runny. Add in the food coloring, if desired.

Once cookies have cooled, frost and sprinkle. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container.

Let cookies sit for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.