You are in for a HUGE treat with this easy copycat Crumbl Cookie Recipe for the best Chilled Sugar Cookies, ever. Using simple pantry ingredients, in 30 minutes you will enjoy, large, soft, buttery cookies, frosted with an amazing almond buttercream frosting.
Cream together the butter and sugar, until fluffy, light and creamy, on medium-high speed. Scrape the sides down. Add eggs, one at a time, beating about 1 minute between additions. TIP: If using all-natural cane sugar, beat for about 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed.
Add vanilla extract and almond extract, mix until combined. Stir the baking powder and salt (if using) into all-purpose flour, then with mixer on low, add slowly until combined. Scraping down sides of bowl to incorporate all flour. Crumbl Sugar cookie dough will be soft and easily scoopable.
This is a super easy to cookie dough to work with and it will be very soft. The best part, no chilling required! Using a ¼ cup cookie scoop or lightly grease a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop cookie dough and then shape into a ball. You want a little overhang in the scoop, this gives the cookies the "rustic" edges.
Place on parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet, I did 6 to a half sheet pan. Then using a glass, or bottom of a flat measuring cup (dip in a little flour first) press down on the cookies to flatten slightly, not too thin.
Bake in preheated 350° F (175° C) oven, for 9-11 minutes (less if you made your cookies smaller), remove from oven once cookies are no longer glossy on top and are puffed up, they will set as they cool. Cool on cookie sheet. Then transfer to wire cooling rack.
Almond Buttercream Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip butter until light and fluffy, slowly with mixer on low -- add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add almond (or vanilla) extract, cream and mix until combined, if adding food coloring, add 2-4 drops of food coloring if desired. Increase speed to medium or high and whip for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy and creamy.
Spread frosting onto cooled cookies (in this instance, it's okay if they are still slightly warm). I used a small cookie scoop to scoop frosting, then an offset spatula to spread the icing on top of the cookies. Once cookies are completely cooled, store in airtight container in fridge.
If baking at high altitude, make the following simple adjustments.
Increase flour by 2 tablespoons.
Decrease baking powder to 1 ½ teaspoons
Reduce baking time by 1-3 minutes (every oven is different, so keep an eye on them)
VARIATIONS
If you don't like or have Almond Extract, increase the Vanilla Extract by ½ a teaspoon.
Same with the almond buttercream frosting, swap out the almond extract for vanilla extract.
Smaller cookies | Use a medium cookie scoop, making mini cookies, just like Crumbl mini cookies! But, only bake for about 6-7 minutes.
STORAGE
Not baking the cookies right away? Place the dough (coverd) in the fridge until ready to use, up to 48 hours. Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) scoop, flatten and bake as directed.
Store frosted Crumbl sugar cookies in fridge in an airtight container or baggie, up to one week (though I have found older and they were fine! :-)
Freeze Cookie Dough Balls by scooping and flash freezing on a cookie sheet, then transferring to an airtight freezer container or baggie, may be frozen up to 3 months (yeah right!). To bake, remove from freezer and thaw overnight in fridge, then place on cookie sheet while oven is preheating, bake as directed.
How to Freeze Baked/Frosted Cookies | Place frosted chilled sugar cookies on cookie sheet and flash-freeze for one hour, then place frosted cookies between wax paper in airtight container or baggie. Keeps up to 3 months.