Pan-banging sugar cookies! This is a recipe from my new cookbook, 100 Cookies, which comes out August 25th. Along with the recipe, I am excited to announce that I am partnering with Nordic Ware for a giveaway over on Instagram in celebration of the book. I am a huge Nordic Ware fan and love and use all their pans in my kitchen.
The giveaway package includes one of each: a copy of the 100 Cookies print book, Nordic Ware Half Sheet Pan, a Nordic Ware 9 x 13 Pan (with Lid for easy travel), and Spatulas! Five winners will be chosen.
Head to my Instagram page (sarah_kieffer) for specific details on entering. Contest runs August 2 – August 8th.
Pan-banging Sugar Cookies
From my cookbook, 100 Cookies (affiliate link)
2 cups [284 g] all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup [2 sticks or 227 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup [350 g] granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line three sheet pans with aluminum foil, dull-side up.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups [300 g] of the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine. Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined.
Form the dough into 3 oz [85 g] balls [1/4 cup]. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/4 cup [50 g] of sugar. Place 3 or 4 cookies an equal distance apart on the sheet pan. Bake the cookies one pan at a time. Bake until the dough balls have flattened but are puffed slightly in the center, 8 minutes. Lift one side of the sheet pan up about 4 in [10 cm] and gently let it drop down against the oven rack, so the edges of the cookies are set and the center falls back down. After the cookies puff up again in 2 minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan. Repeat a few more times to create ridges around the edges of the cookie. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes total, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden brown but the centers are much lighter and not fully cooked.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days (or refrigerate for up to 3 days).
I’ve got lots more pan-banging cookies where this recipe came from!
25 Comments
Nikki
Monday, August 3, 2020 at 7:49 pmHonestly, I just can’t wait to nab your cookbook!! These look amazing….still working on my pan-banging skills though..
Best,
Nikki
https://www.pastrybynikki.com/post/berry-pink-gf-pancakes
patty
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 8:55 amI don’t know how to do Instagram, but I know how to bake cookies! I love the pan banging chocolate chip cookies and I will be making these tonight and I can’t wait. They look so good!
Nina Stjärnehag
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 9:45 amHi love THANK YOU ??. Because of living in not USA (sweden) cream of tartar is illegal to sell (!! Says food stores when asked), and I wonder if possible to sub w anything and still achieve same result? THANKS in advance,
Nina Stjärnehag
Molly
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 12:10 pmI had to google cream of tartar after seeing your comment because I realized I didn’t know what cream of tartar was! Ironically (if the site is correct), sodium bitartrate (cream of tartar) was discovered in Sweden! Maybe you can order by mail? Best of luck.
Ashley
Sunday, August 23, 2020 at 1:06 amCream of Tartar is Vinsten. Jag tror att det säljs på apoteket eller amerikanska / engelska butiken.
Nina Stjärnehag
Tuesday, August 25, 2020 at 2:52 pmÅh jag vet! Men det är tyvärr engelska butiken som slutat sälja sedan några år, även Ica kvantum har berättat att det blivit olagligt. Apoteket får inte heller. Men tack ändå!
Saimah
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 6:03 pmThis is a fantastic recipe! I pan-banged my way to waking up my entire household at 6am. Lucky for them, it was to the smell of delicious sugar cookies! I love how chewy they are.
Brenda J Dumont
Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 1:31 pmEven if i dont win i am getting that cookbook! I just made the oatmeal cookies from “the vanilla bean cookbook” and boy are they ever good!!
Susan
Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 5:37 pmI have a vegan version of these in the oven right now! I will let you know how they turn out. Great recipe! Thanks so much for your wonderful creativity and talent!
Olga María Cárcamo
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 7:56 pmhow did they turned out?
Erin
Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 6:23 amCan you share how they turned out and how you substituted? TIA!
Katrina
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 9:24 amHi! How many cookies does this recipe make? Thank you!
Pat
Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 2:43 pmI just made these and thought they were pretty unremarkable. They needed to be a little thicker and have more flavor. Won’t make them again.
Sarah
Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 4:57 pmHi Pat – these cookies are supposed to be flat; the pan-banging cookies spread to have crisp ripples and a tender center. But if you are looking for a thicker cookie, you may want to try a traditional sugar cookie recipe. Thanks for trying them!
Madeleine
Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 9:11 pmHi there! Could you do this cookie with a bit of lemon? Pan banging lemon sugar cookie? I loved your chocolate espresso molasses pan banging cookie, and want to bake a citrus take!
My thoughts were lemon extract or dried lemon powder or rind? Maybe some fiore di sicilia instead of vanilla?
Nathan
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 12:41 pmLove these. Not overly sweet, the texture is fantastic, and they’re super easy. Thank you!
Nicole
Friday, September 11, 2020 at 4:38 pmI bought your book and just made these with the addition of the sprinkles. They are outstanding. The cookies are really big — can you make them smaller and still get the same result?
Deborah Puette
Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 7:32 pmI don’t love to use foil. Would parchment work?
Giftbasketworldwide
Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 3:32 amI have been amazed at your work. Quite fabulous.
Olga María Cárcamo
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 7:50 pmhow did they turned out?
Nina
Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 11:48 amJust made these this morning and they are very tasty! I made 16 cookies, but only baked six and put the rest in the freezer. I probably could’ve gotten 18 with slightly smaller cookies and if I did not eat a tiny bit of the dough (!). I did two pan-bangs, one at 8 minutes, and one at 12, and baked for a total of 15 minutes. I could see adding lemon zest to the sugar in the recipe and then mixing it with the butter for lemony sugar cookies, or adding cinnamon to the rolling sugar for a more snickerdoodle effect.
Sindi
Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 7:54 pmNo yield..confusing does it make three 1/4 cup cookies?
Chelsey
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 10:54 pmIt made ten 3 oz cookies for me.
Maria Fay
Saturday, January 9, 2021 at 9:16 amHi Sarah, can you tell me about the sugar cookies with the sprinkles? Did you mix them into the dough before you baked them? About how much did you use in the batter? I have rainbow jimmies and believe that is what you used….? If anyone else knows, I would appreciate the help. Thanks!
Chelsey
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 10:52 pmYum! These are so good and mine turned out just like your pictures! So pleased. Thank you.