So when my pal Christy Jordan told me a while back that she had an excellent copycat recipe for those amazingly little morsels of deliciousness, I had to have it. And y’all… it’s spot on. Like they just might be my favorite cookie ever. Ok, scratch that. They ARE my favorite cookie ever. Like ever. I can eat all 24 of these. All. By. Myself.
But besides the buttery, chewy goodness, I knew that there was a little something extra in terms of flavor when it came to those GACC cookies. And that little something extra is lemon. Now, I have no idea why I never really figured that out, but part of me thinks I just had a mental block. It’s like when something is just so good, you almost don’t want to know what makes it that way.
Regardless, I’m so glad to have this recipe in my arsenal so I can make them every time I have a craving. And while they make perfect holiday cookies, I make them all year long. They’re just as tasty in June or July. 🙂 Y’all are gonna love ’em!
Chewy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- large decorating sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment or a nonstick silicone baking mat. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the corn syrup, egg, vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix well.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and roll it into balls. Place the decorating sugar in a small bowl and roll the dough ball in the sugar to coat. Place them on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. (If you find the dough too soft, refrigerate it for about 20 minutes and it should firm up enough to work with.)
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown, being cautious not to overcook. Cool on the baking pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Work in batches until all the dough has been used. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Cindy Karsten says
These look great! A lot of family members need to eat gluten free so do you think this recipe would still work if I swapped out the regular flour and replaced it with an all purpose gluten free flour? Do you think I would need to make other modifications? Thanks!
Stacey says
Hi Cindy! I’m honestly not sure. I don’t have much experience with gluten free flour.
Melodie mills says
Would these be good with frosting?
Stacey says
I sure don’t see why not!
Anne Gavin says
Can the dough be frozen?
Stacey says
I don’t see why not. 🙂
Sara says
Could this recipe be used with cutters, or does it spread too much for shapes?
Stacey says
I’m afraid this dough is a little too soft to be rolled out and cut.
Vicki J. says
I made these and they spread way more while baking. I made the first sheet on silpat and then tried the next on parchment paper. Still spread a lot. If I make them again, I might try using half shortening to see if that keeps them from spreading so much. They tasted good though, just did not look like yours.
Stacey says
Ugh. Hate to hear you had trouble. Did you coat them in the big pieces of sugar? Also, did you try chilling the dough?
Vicki J. says
I had large green & smaller red sugar that I combined and rolled them in. I did put the second sheet in the fridge for a bit to see if that would help. They might have spread a little less but still spread a lot. As I said, they are still yummy!
Stacey says
Well, I’m just glad they tasted good! 🙂
Nicole says
These were really good! They stayed soft and fluffy even after a few days. The only thing I would do differently next time is to put a little less lemon extract. They were a little too lemon-y for my kids but I liked them a lot! This is definitely my new go-to sugar cookie recipe.
Stacey says
So glad you enjoyed them!!
Jessica says
I’m a huge sugar cookie eater but the lemon extract kind of steers me away! Does the cookie taste really lemony?
Nicole says
I think the lemon is needed to give it something unexpected, but in my opinion, maybe 1/2 tsp or less. They did have a lemon taste that I liked but my kids were not so crazy about.
Stacey says
I agree! There’s no harm in using less, but I love that extra punch it gives the cookies.
Stacey says
I don’t think they taste lemony. There’s just a little something there that you know is different, but can’t quite put your finger on. Certainly you could always use less extract.
Apryl says
This recipe is GREAT!! Personally, I’m not a fan of the hint of lemon taste. I may reduce by half or omit the lemon and add almond or more vanilla to replace. This recipe will be added to my recipe book! Thanks for sharing!!
Stacey says
Glad you enjoyed them!!
Ida says
Delicious! Was looking for something to give to the neighbors as Christmas gifts and these were perfect! Turned out great first try. Had to make a second batch for the family! Thanks for sharing.
Stacey says
So glad they turned out great for you!!
Dolores says
I didn’t use any lemon extract from the previous ratings comments and it turned out great! I also had to flatten them before baking to ensure it was cooked all the way through for the 10 minutes. Definitely will use the recipe again.
Stacey says
Glad you enjoyed them! You should really try them with the lemon next time, though! So good!
Cindy says
Stacey – If a recipe calls for Unsalted Butter, but I have Lightly Salted, should I leave out the salt in the recipe?
Stacey says
No, in this case I think it will be just fine to use both.
Alicia says
These are delicious and pretty! I also have a serious love for Great American Cookie Company, especially the sugar cookies. These taste just like them! Thank you for sharing❤️
Stacey says
So glad to hear that you enjoyed them!! We sure love them at our house!