Frosted cinnamon sugar cookies

You know how I always say that I only have one taste-test cookie or taste-test piece of whatever I make and I give the rest away? But if something is really, really good, I’ll have a second piece?

Compared to all I bake, it’s relatively rare when I like something enough to have more than one piece of it. And that includes even my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. A warm chocolate chip cookie 10 minutes out of the oven is the peak of culinary dessert nirvana for me but even so, I’m fine only having one cookie and no more. At least not until I make the next batch days or weeks later. But eating one after the other of something? Very rare for me. I’m a moderate; I don’t overindulge like that.

So it says something when I flag that this cookie is one of those rare ones. I honestly didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. I figured I would like the cookie well enough because it had all the right elements I look for in a good cookie: it didn’t spread, it was soft, moist and chewy and it tasted good. No, make that: It tasted great. Much as I love chocolate, when it comes to cookies, I actually prefer vanilla. I even liked the frosting. Hello, I'm not a frosting person but I liked the frosting. Actually, I made up the frosting recipe based on modifying the original one that came with the recipe.  And I liked it paired with this cookie. The cookie would be good without the frosting but it was great with it.

I waited for the first batch to cool so I could frost the cookies, had a taste test cookie and thought “hmm, that’s really good.” Then “Wow, that’s really good.” So, although it was supposed to be a rest day, I went and did a 40-minute workout, came back and had a second cookie. There you go, that’s how much I liked this cookie.

Don’t overbake these! I know I say that with almost every recipe I post but seriously, don’t overbake them or they’ll be more cakey than chewy and they’ll be dry.

I shaped the dough balls into thick discs instead of “balls” so that when they baked, they would stay a fairly uniform thickness. They did still dome a bit in the middle but that’s OK, the edges didn’t spread thin. Depending on your oven, I wouldn’t bake these longer than 11-13 minutes, long enough for the edges to get golden and the middles not to look shiny or raw.

Let them cool completely before you spread them with frosting. They’ll be moist, chewy cinnamon-vanilla goodness.  Oh, and please, don’t use old, tired cinnamon. You know I’m talking about that bottle you’ve had in your pantry forever because you haven’t used it in awhile and there’s still some left. If you can’t remember when you bought the cinnamon and/or if you remember but it wasn’t during this decade, please go buy a new bottle. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Frosted cinnamon sugar cookies
Adapted from I Heart Naptime

For the cookies:
1 cup (8 ounces) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter, softened
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (to taste and desired consistency)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons whole milk (to desired consistency)
additional cinnamon for sprinkling

1. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla; mix well. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; mix just until combined. Chill 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Roll the dough into golf-ball-size balls, flatten slightly into thick discs and space evenly on baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes (depending on the thickness of your discs) or until edges are golden and middles no longer look raw. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

4. To make the frosting: beat together the cream cheese and butter until completely combined and no lumps remain. Add up to 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla and a little milk. Alternately add remaining powdered sugar and additional drops of milk until desired consistency. Beat until light and fluffy.

5. Frost cookies and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

Related post on the Pastry Chef's Baking: Old-fashioned sugar cookies