No Stress Michigan Sugar Cookies that Are Easy to Make and You Will Love to Eat
Michigan sugar cookies are so so delicious that you’ll be hard pressed to just have one! These custom sugar cookies are super easy and fun to make, so get creative and get baking!
This recipe for Michigan sugar cookies is going to be your next favorite sugar cookie. Who says rolled sugar cookies are for holidays only? Scoop up a Michigan cookie cutter and say yes to chewy sugar cookies year round!
This post is all about Michigan Sugar Cookies!
Healthy Micro Superstars featured in this michigan sugar cookies recipe
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What Will It Take to Bake Michigan Sugar Cookies?
- First, you mix the shortening, sugar, and vanilla until it is nice and creamy.
- Then, you add the egg and beat until the dough becomes fluffy.
- Next, you add the milk and sifted flour.
- Finally, you divide the dough in half and wrap to refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- To make the cookies, roll out the dough and use your favorite Michigan sugar cookies cutter to cut cookies and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 7 minutes at 375 degree Fahrenheit.
- Cool completely before frosting!
These sugar cookies are SO light and fluffy you’ll keep coming back for more!!
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Bar None
This recipe for Michigan sugar cookies definitely ranks at the top for best sugar cookie recipes! If you’re like me, and like your cookies a little bit soft, you will love this recipe. It’s not overly buttery like some chewy sugar cookies. Best of all, this recipe is so easy that my daughter and her friend were able to bake them entirely by themselves!
Deliciously Chewy Sugar Cookies
These Michigan sugar cookies are seriously deliciously chewy! You can use a KitchenAid stand mixer to mix the ingredients and make the sugar cookies. Or, if you don’t have a KitchenAid mixer you can definitely just use a bowl and mixing spoon. That’s how I always grew up doing it!
If you’re looking for a stand mixer, you can find a KitchenAid one like the mixer the girls are using in the pictures on Amazon, here.
We actually bought ours from Macy’s because they were on sale. You can check Macy’s for a stand mixer here.
Or, if you want to go direct to the source and find all the unique colors and attachments, you can find a stand mixer here at KitchenAid.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you still will want to use a hand blender to beat the egg. A hand mixer makes the cookie dough super light and fluffy! Who doesn’t love fluffy, deliciously chewy sugar cookies? I think the answer is no one!
This one below is most like the handheld mixer we have. It’s under $25 and has worked perfectly for about 20 years! You can find it here on Amazon.
Cozy Afternoons with Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
There is something so cozy about baking sugar cookies. The girls dumped in the shortening, vanilla, and sugar into the KitchenAid mixer and watched the magic happen!
Michigan Sugar
Sugar is not healthy for your gut, but it is so so good! Sometimes you can substitute honey or maple syrup for sugar. However, to make these Michigan sugar cookies light and fluffy, you definitely need to use real sugar.
Pro Tip
When deciding on sugar, go for raw sugar. You can use it for both a white and brown substitute.
While, some people disagree with substituting raw sugar for white or brown sugar, the additional flavor can be delicious!
The Difference Between White Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Raw Sugar
Refined white sugar is neutralized through a centrifuge to remove alkaline compounds and create that soft sweet white granule without any flavor. Meanwhile, brown sugar goes through the same process as white sugar. Then, they add molasses added back into it, making it brown sugar.
Raw sugar is less processed than both white and brown sugar and retains more of the natural molasses that was in the sugarcane from which it came. That makes it taste more flavorful.
You can find raw sugar, like the one we use, at Whole Foods. Or, it is usually available at Costco, which is now participating with Instacart! Could it really get much easier? I buy it in bulk and it lasts a very long time. It’s also good in coffee if you like a little sweetness in your brew!
1 Secret Ingredient to the Best Thick Sugar Cookie Recipe
Sugar cookies definitely come in all shapes and sizes, but to make chewy sugar cookies you need a thick sugar cookie recipe. Michigan sugar cookies can be thick or thin, but using the shortening rather than butter keeps them light and fluffy no matter the size.
Even though it’s no longer in vogue to cook with shortening, this ingredient really makes the difference in these cookies. You can find the shortening the girls used at Whole Foods here. Or, you can find shortening at your local grocery store in the baking aisle.
This shortening is non-hydrogenated, vegan, and from all vegetable oil. Again, would I go as far to say as it is gut healthy? No. But, it’s a healthier option for your cookies than your grandma’s shortening.
Make No Fuss Custom Sugar Cookies
Once you have made the cookie dough, it goes in the refrigerator for at least one hour and can be made ahead and left there for up to two days. When you pull out your cookie dough, you’ll want to roll it out with a wooden rolling pin. This is one of those staple items that you buy once and it just lives with you for the rest of eternity.
If you don’t have a wooden rolling pin you can find one on Amazon here.
This one, pictured above, is less than $15 and does everything you need a rolling pin to do! But, if you want to get more fancy, there are all different kinds of rolling pins. You could get a French rolling pin like this one.
Or, a two toned rolling pin to match your decor like the one pictured here at Williams Sonoma.
Before rolling the cookie dough out, you’ll want to flour your counter space. This keeps the dough from sticking. King Arthur’s Cake Flour is amazing for this. It’s light and keeps baked goods moist and fluffy.
You can find it at Whole Foods, or at many local grocery stores. Look for a box, because unlike many flours, that’s what it comes in!
Don’t Search Custom Sugar Cookies Near Me, Bake Them!
The best thing about this custom sugar cookie recipe is that it is so easy anyone can do it! These girls had a blast baking cookies from scratch and did not need any help from mom! What makes sweets so special is the love and care that goes into the process to bake them. So, next time you’re thinking of buying a box, try baking a batch instead!
Michigan State Sugar Cookies
After you roll the dough, you can cut out Michigan shapes with your Michigan Cookie Cutter. If you don’t have a Michigan cookie cutter, you can find one here on Amazon.
Or, you can find Michigan cookie cutters at Kroger or Meijer intermittently. Or, if you are into the whole 3D printing thing, which I think is pretty cool, you can check out these Michigan cookie cutters from Etsy.
You can decorate your Michigan sugar cookies to make them your own! We are in Spartan country here so our cookies definitely could have a Michigan State University theme. Or, if you’re a Wolverine you could make University of Michigan sugar cookies.
What Makes Custom Cookies Michigan Inspired?
You! The best thing about baking Michigan sugar cookies is that you can put your own spin on each one. Make the frosting from scratch and mix each color uniquely.
Pro Tip
Make Homemade Sugar Cookie Frosting
1. To make the frosting, take out as many bowls as you would like frosting colors.
2. In each bowl pour 1-2 cups of powdered sugar.
3. Turn on your kitchen faucet to cold and allow it to drip very slowly.
4. Place the bowl under the faucet and using a spoon mix the powdered sugar with the water until it is creamy. Not too soupy!
5. If you get too much water in the bowl, that’s ok! Just add more powdered sugar!
Don’t forget the sprinkles! Once you frost the cookies, add the sprinkles right away and they will stick when the frosting dries. Be creative! Kids love this part.
Ranked #1 of All Recipes Sugar Cookies
When you try these sugar cookies you will probably want to rank them #1 in your top sugar cookie recipes of all time! These chewy sugar cookies are so delicious that even writing this post makes me want to make a batch.
This post was all about Michigan Sugar Cookies!
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Take Care! Dr. Kait
Michigan Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
Dough
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg cage free
- 3 tbsp milk
- 2 cups white flour sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Mix shortening, sugar, and vanilla.2/3 cup shortening, 3/4 cup raw sugar, 1 tsp vanilla
- Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy.1 egg
- Stir in the milk.3 tbsp milk
- Sift together flour baking powder and salt. Blend into the wet mixture.2 cups white flour , 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt
- Divide the dough in half and wrap in wax paper. Place in the refridgerator for at least 1 hour and up to over night.
Roll the Dough and Cut Cookies
- When finished chilling, take the dough out. On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/6 inch thickness.
- Use your Michigan cookie cutter. Cut cookies. Place dough cut outs on parchment paper.
- Bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 7 minutes.
- Take out and slide the parchment paper off the pan. Continue until all cookies are baked.
- Once cookies are cooled you can frost them! For a frosting recipe, read my Homemade Frosting Recipe Pro Tip in this post.
