I love biting into the soft, chewy cookie and having those vanilla notes hit my tongue. It’s a little bite of nostalgic satisfaction that you can’t get anywhere else.

Ordinary Ingredients, Extraordinary Cookie

Sugar cookies come in all sorts of textures and sizes, but my favorite are the kind that are soft and chewy. This is the type of cookie that you roll into balls between your hands and then press flat with a glass before baking. It’s one the most basic of cookies, with all the standard ingredients you’d expect: butter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla. Combined, they make the perfect sugar cookie.

Ways to Decorate These Cookies

For a basic, everyday sugar cookie, just roll them in sugar before baking. If you’d like something extra-special, try rolling them in colored sugars or topping them with a layer of frosting.

How to Store or Freeze These Cookies

Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for about three days. After that, they’ll still be tasty, but will start to get a little dry and crumbly. The cookies can also be frozen, either baked or unbaked:

To freeze the unbaked cookies, roll and flatten the cookies on the baking sheet, then transfer to the freezer. It’s fine to crowd the pan with as many cookies as you can. Once frozen, the cookies can be transferred to an airtight freezer container or bag for up to a month. Bake as normal (no need to thaw), but add an extra minute or two onto the cooking time.To freeze the baked cookies, cool completely, then wrap them well with foil and transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to a month and thaw at room temperature.

These cookies are so great for the holidays, but here are a whole bunch more that you may like, too!

Soft and chewy not quite your aim today? Take a look at these other variations!

Lofthouse-Style Frosted Sugar Cookies: Super soft! With fluffy frosting! Simple Cut-Out Sugar Cookies: Thin and tender Holiday Sugar Cookies: Tender, a little crisp, and sturdy enough for frosting

1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.