Ingredients
Scale
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugars in stand mixer 3-4 minutes until fluffy, creating air pockets for perfect texture. Beat in egg yolks, sourdough discard, and vanilla. Mixture may look curdled—that’s normal.
- Combine dry ingredients – whisk flour, baking soda, and salt separately. Gradually fold into wet mixture until flour streaks disappear. Don’t overwork to avoid tough cookies.
- Chill dough wrapped in plastic 2+ hours or overnight. Extended fermentation develops deeper flavors and makes cookies easier to digest while firming fats to prevent spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, line sheets with parchment. Roll chilled dough to ¼-inch thickness, cut shapes, space 2 inches apart.
- Bake 8-11 minutes until edges are slightly golden but centers remain pale for perfect chewy texture.
Notes
Royal Icing Techniques:
- Hold your piping bag at a 45-degree angle for maximum control and smooth flow
- Use the counting method—icing should disappear in 8-10 seconds for perfect flooding consistency
- Pipe outlines first with thick icing, then flood centers with thinner icing