The Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies are the epitome of sweet indulgence. They have the perfect balance of soft, melt-in-your-mouth centers and crispy edges. Their subtle sweetness, accentuated by a hint of vanilla and a touch of sea salt, creates their familiar and comforting flavor. The secret ingredient, shortening, lends to their uniquely tender crumb and unmistakable, light, fluffy texture that we all know and love.
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream shortening, sugar, and powdered sugar together for 2-3 minutes until smooth, light, and fluffy.
2 cups shortening, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar
Add egg and vanilla extract and continue mixing for another minute, just until the egg is combined.
1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients in batches and mix until just blended. Do not over-mix.
Using a 4 TBS cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Roll each ball in sugar and place on the cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Carefully flatten each cooke with the bottom of a glass or your palm.
Bake cookies for 9 minutes at 375 degrees, rotating the pans halfway through to ensure even baking.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*Make sure to read the cookie baking tips to get answers to common questions about baking cookies.**These cookies are fragile and dry out quickly. If you're not going to eat them all within a day or two, pop them in a Ziplock bag and freeze them. You can pull one or two out at a time and they'll be almost as fresh as the day they were baked.