Lazy Man Lofthouse Cookies

 I've been wanting to make some soft sugar cookies for a while now.  I scoured through all of my internet sources.  Most of the recipes I found, originate from the same source and they all claim to be just like the Lofthouse Soft Sugar Cookies that you see in the stores, usually decorated with seasonal sprinkles.  All of them required you to make the dough and then refrigerate it overnight.  When you were ready to bake, you rolled a very sticky dough as best you could to a half inch thickness and cut it with a circle cookie cutter.

Well, I'm not likely to let a dough sit in the fridge overnight.  If I want cookies, I usually want them right now!  And as far as rolling the sticky dough--I wasn't really into that either.  So, enter the lazy man version.

Make your dough following the recipe below.  Don't bother putting the dough into the refrigerator.  Just forge on!  Scoop it with a large two tablespoon cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.  Flour your fingers or the bottom of a cup and gently press the cookie balls to about a half inch thickness.

I actually did not look very closely at the oven temperature from the above recipe.  So, I baked my first sheet at 350 degrees.  After seven minutes, I looked and realized that they were not finished baking.  Then I noticed my mistake.  I went ahead and baked them for 4-5 more minutes at 350 degrees.  After that, I corrected the temperature and baked the remaining cookies according to the recipe.  Guess what?  I liked my "mistake" cookies best.  They held their puffy shape much better.  The others tended to droop as they cooled.

So, after your cookies have baked at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (you want them just barely golden on the edges) remove them from the oven and place them  on a cooling rack.  When they have completely cooled, frost them with your favorite buttercream recipe.  And don't neglect the sprinkles!

Now, if you are the type that need perfectly round cookies, you will probably want to roll out the dough and cut it with a cookie cutter.  But, if you want a cookie in hand within 30 minutes, this is the method for you.  What they lack in perfection they make up for in speed!  These would be brilliant for a fourth of July picnic.