Marion's Sugar Cookies

This recipe uses a trick that makes all the difference: both granulated and powdered sugar go into the dough. The powdered sugar dissolves completely, creating a silky-smooth texture, while the granulated sugar gives the edges a slight crunch. Add cream of tartar alongside the baking soda and you get that signature tang and tender crumb old-fashioned sugar cookies are known for.

The dough uses margarine and vegetable oil together, which keeps the cookies soft and gives them a melt-in-your-mouth quality that all-butter doughs sometimes lack. Chill it for two hours so the balls hold their shape on the baking sheet.

The flattening step is where these get their character. Dip the bottom of a textured glass in water, press it into sugar, then stamp each dough ball flat. You get a sparkly, crackled sugar top that looks bakery-made.

Kitchen Tips

• The two-hour chill is a must. Warm dough spreads too much and the cookies lose their clean edges.
• Use a glass with a textured or patterned bottom for a decorative imprint. Smooth glass works but isn’t as interesting.
• Pull the cookies at 10 minutes if you want them soft and chewy. Go the full 12 for crisper edges.
• These freeze well. Freeze the unbaked dough balls on a sheet, then bag them. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two.

Variations

• Roll the dough balls in colored sugar or sprinkles for holidays and birthdays.
• Add almond extract alongside the vanilla for a more complex flavor.
• Stir lemon zest into the dough for bright, citrusy sugar cookies.