Puffy, buttery soft sugar cookies with buttercream frosting are a copycat recipe of the Lofthouse cookies you remember from childhood. Pink frosting, sprinkles... these have it all.
Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy - about 3 minutes.
Add the egg, and beat until it's all mixed in.
Stir in the sour cream and vanilla on low speed just until combined.
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure none of the mixture is sticking.
Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix together until just incorporated.
If you're going to roll them out then stop here and chill for at least an hour.
Drop by rounded teaspoons on the prepared baking sheets - for bigger cookies use a tablespoon.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and just barely beginning to turn golden - do not overbake!
Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
Beat together all ingredients except cream and food coloring until smooth.
Add cream and food coloring last to achieve the desired thickness and color.
Frost cooled cookies generously and add sprinkles.
Notes
Storage:If you have leftovers place them in an airtight container, or cover your platter with some plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to about 5 days.Freeze for a month or so.Tips:
Sift your powdered sugar before adding it to the butter. This easy step makes your frosting so, so, so much smoother!
Once you add the flour and the other dry ingredients, don't mix too much. Otherwise, your cookies will lose their signature soft texture.
Room-temperature butter is important for both the cookies and frosting, so pull it out in advance!
If you need to microwave the butter to speed up the softening, be careful. Use the half-power setting, and don't let any of the butter melt!
Only chill the sugar cookie dough if you plan on using a rolling pin. Otherwise, just drop the dough in spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.
Use a cookie-dough scoop to portion the dough more evenly.
The edges will only turn slightly golden, and the cookies will continue to set as they cool, so don't accidentally over-bake them. Think of your favorite Lofthouse cookies: remember how pale they were? Tasty!
After adding the heavy cream and coloring, replace the whisk (if you used it) with the paddle attachment. Turn your mixer to low speed and let it run for a few minutes. This will remove any air bubbles from your vanilla frosting so that it looks as smooth as it tastes!
If you want your cookies to have a polished appearance, let them cool before frosting. If they're warm, your buttercream will melt.
Feel free to use a piping bag to apply the frosting, or simply swirl it on with a spatula or butter knife.