Ella Zeek's Sugar Cookies

Ella Zeek’s recipe is a vintage take on the sugar cookie that flips the typical sugar ratio. Where most sugar cookies lean on white sugar for crispness, this one uses three times more brown sugar than white. The result is a chewier, deeper-flavored cookie with caramel and molasses notes most sugar cookies don’t have.

Shortening (rather than butter) is the second deliberate choice. Shortening keeps the cookies tender longer in storage and prevents the spread that butter encourages. These hold their pressed shape during baking instead of flattening into thin discs.

The three-finger press is what gives these their signature look. After rolling each ball with floured hands, you press flat with three fingers together so the ridges run down the middle. This is more than decoration: the ridges create thinner spots that brown more deeply, giving each cookie variegated color and texture.

The one-hour chill is genuinely important. Without it, the dough is too soft to roll into clean balls, and the cookies spread instead of holding their pressed shape on the sheet.

Kitchen Tips

• Cream the shortening and sugars until properly pale and fluffy. Three to four minutes on medium speed; rushing this step gives a denser cookie.
• Flour your hands generously before rolling. The dough is sticky from the brown sugar and shortening, and bare hands make a mess.
• Watch the bake time closely. With shortening’s higher melting point, these go from light gold to overdone quickly.
• Store in an airtight tin with a slice of bread to maintain softness. The bread releases moisture that keeps the cookies pliable.

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg for a snickerdoodle-leaning version of the cookie.
• Substitute butter for half the shortening if you want more flavor and don’t mind a slightly thinner cookie.
• Roll the chilled balls in cinnamon-sugar before pressing for a snickerdoodle twist.