Lofthouse At Home: Cookies!

Lofthouse Cookies: You know the kind I’m talking about, even if you don’t know what they’re called. That was me up until about a month ago when my adorable baking enthusiast buddy Jessica saw Mother Thyme’s blog and flipped out that, “OMG SHE HAS LOFTHOUSE COOKIES!!! OMG OMG I HAVE TO BAKE THEM!!!”

No joke. That’s Jessica.

I don’t know if she ever baked them. She’s a Pinterest freak and last I saw, she probably had a million baking recipes pinned. To top it off, she has been on a S’mores kick lately, and she’s completely into baking stuff of that nature. I’m waiting for her next Friday off because she always seems to bake things on her long weekends.

But before Jessica’s spaz attack, I had seen (and eaten) dozens of Lofthouse cookies in the grocery stores and at parties. Hell, I’d even bought them to take to parties on a last minute whim. (That awkward moment when you’re heading out the door and your relative says “Don’t forget to bring your dessert!” Oops..) I just wasn’t aware that they were named “Lofthouse” cookies.

Look familiar? That pretty plastic package that promises way more calories than you should intake in a single day, but they’re just oh so pretty and oh so delicious you can’t resist them…and they’re so soft and moist and…yum.

So, once I put two and two together and realized what Lofthouse cookies were and realized I can make them at home (for cheaper than it is to buy a package, I’d wager), I, too, had a spaz attack and got extremely excited. I’ve been looking for an excuse to use the rest of my cake flour lately, so the fact that this recipe uses it was perfection! And I had some Duncan Hines frosting hanging out in my house for the future cupcakes I plan to bake..so I just used that instead of the actual frosting recipe (however I linked the recipe above, and you can make your own frosting if you’d like). You can never use all of your icing, whether homemade or not, on icing cupcakes or cookies, so it works out. Otherwise I’m notorious for sneaking a spoonful here or there…which is SOOOOOOOOO bad for me!

But enough about my bad habits, let’s bake some cookies!

Ingredients: Cake Flour (3 cups), Baking Powder (3 tsp), Salt (1/2 tsp), Butter (1 cup/2 sticks – room temp), Eggs (2), Sour Cream (2 tbls), Vanilla Extract (1 tsp), Sugar (1 cup)

In a medium bowl, combine cake flour, salt and baking powder. Set it aside.

In a larger bowl, add sugar and butter.

Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Then, add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix well to incorporate.

Gradually add flour mixture until combined.

Chill your finished dough in the fridge for at least an hour. I took the time to watch more Holmes on Homes with the Ryan (and give myself more home buying anxiety!!). That show is terrifying and incredible all at once.

When the dough is ready, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using flour on your hands if necessary, roll the dough into balls and press flat on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes. Cool on a wire cooling rack.

I cheated and used Duncan Hines Cream Cheese frosting because I didn’t want to make my own. Sometimes I get lazy. Also, the Confectioner’s Sugar would’ve made a big mess I wasn’t in the mood to clean. 🙂

We clearly had to test one to make sure it turned out well (and ouch – see the bandaid? Left the chef’s knife in the sink and then did dishes…Derp!); Clearly cookies are desired by everyone in this house.

All done! I stuck these guys on a plate and popped them in the fridge to let the icing harden. The Ryan and I both sort of..snuck into the kitchen and stole a few, though. They were sooo delicious! And easy to make at home!