Mario's Sugar Cookies

Mario's Sugar Cookies

Contributed by : Jill Kanwischer

jill-kanwischer-20220608231807

Italian Recipes : Desserts

Mario is a dedicated volunteer at the Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission, generously giving his time several days a week whenever his work schedule and transportation allow. Known for his infectious smile and kind, thoughtful nature, Mario takes great pride in keeping the mission spotless, ensuring it feels warm and welcoming for everyone. Despite his busy life, Mario’s positive attitude never wavers, and his efforts go far beyond cleaning.

For a recent potluck dinner at the mission, Mario surprised everyone with a batch of his homemade sugar cookies. Soft, buttery, and perfectly sweet, the cookies were an instant hit, disappearing in no time. Mario’s humble response to the praise was a heartfelt smile, as he shared how baking brings him joy and reminds him of happy memories with his family. His sugar cookies are now a favourite at the mission, much like Mario himself.

Total Time

35 minutes

Prepare Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Recipe Servings

Yields 3 baking trays - amount depend on size of cutouts

Ingredients for
Mario's Sugar Cookies

225g / 1 cup unsalted butter , softened (or use salted, skip salt)
1 cup caster/superfine sugar (granulated/ordinary white sugar ok too)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (55-60g / 1.9-2oz)
3 cups flour , plain / all purpose
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

How to Make
Mario's Sugar Cookies

Preheat Oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy (1 minute on speed 5)
Add egg and vanilla, beat until completely combined.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt.
Start mixing slowly, then beat until the flour is incorporated – it will be clumpy.
Dust work surface with flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Pat together then cut in half, then shape into 2 discs.
Roll out to 0.3cm / 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 0.6cm / 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies), sprinkling with flour under and over the dough so it doesn't stick.
Use cookie cutters to press out shapes and use a knife or spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets. (Keep dough that doesn’t fit in the oven in the fridge).
Bake for 10 minutes, swapping trays halfway (see notes), until the surface is pale golden and the edges are just beginning to turn light golden.
Allow cookies to cool completely on trays (they will finish cooking on the trays).

Notes

Swapping trays halfway – this means that you put both trays in the oven with one in the middle of the oven and the other underneath. Halfway through the bake time, switch them around so the one underneath moves to the top shelf, and the tray on top moves to the shelf underneath. This ensures they both bake evenly because the top shelf bakes faster than the shelf underneath.
Storage – Keeps in an airtight container for a week. After this, they are still edible and totally delicious but they do start to dry out a touch.