sugar cookie baking question

[mtemm]

I love my recipe, but for some reason the batch I made today seems a bit dry...its hard to even roll out without crumbling. I did what I could with the first half, the rest is in the fridge and I'll try it later.

my question is, could/should I add a wee bit more milk to it to make it a bit softer? or should I just make a whole new batch? I don't know if this makes a difference, but I forgot to take the butter out to soften when I mixed them up so I microwaved it...most was perfect, a small amount actually melted. is that enough to affect the cookies?

 

[sk8ingmom]

I think it would be difficult to work milk into an already mixed and chilled lump of dough. Maybe try leaving it out of the fridge for a while? Dough tends to get sticky-er when it is room temperature.

If I had all the stuff, I think I would just mix up a new batch. It doesn't take long, and a couple bucks worth of wasted ingredients may save you a bunch of time and hassle.

 

[Hannathy]

did the first batch taste ok or were they dry after baking. If they tasted ok and not dry I would try either leaving it warm up like another poster said, or with the dry dough don't roll it just make balls out of it with your hands, then roll the balls in colored sugar and flatten a bit with a glass, then bake.

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

I think that microwaving the butter can change the texture of the dough, I don't know how, but I have had that happen before. Baking is a chemical reaction so sometimes the temperature of the ingredients changes the outcome.

My favorite tip for sugar cookies is to roll the cold dough out between pieces of wax paper. This way it doesn't stick to the counter or rolling pin and you don't have to add flour, which makes it dry. It really works!
Good luck and happy baking!

 

[mtemm]

just tasted some of the first batch and they taste good, so I think I'm going to let the other half warm for a bit, try that one. I do have butter warming on the counter and will probably go ahead and mix a second batch. I need to bring these to a kids cookie decorating party tomorrow, so want them to be good, and if the 2nd half of the first batch is fine and I don't need much from the second batch, well, I'll just freeze them and save for christmas.

thanks all!

 

[mtemm]

okay, just mixed up the second batch and it feels so much better than the batch I made this morning. its chilling now, so we'll see how it rolls. I may not even make the 2nd half of the first batch, or might take the suggestion to roll in balls/flatten/sugar coat and keep those for home.

my measurements were the same for both, so I wonder if microwaving the butter really did make such a difference.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

okay, just mixed up the second batch and it feels so much better than the batch I made this morning. its chilling now, so we'll see how it rolls. I may not even make the 2nd half of the first batch, or might take the suggestion to roll in balls/flatten/sugar coat and keep those for home.

my measurements were the same for both, so I wonder if microwaving the butter really did make such a difference.

Yes. Actually, the point that there was even a little bit actually melted probably did it. They may taste the same, but they will be drier than normal.
Never have any small bit of the butter melted..
You can microwave the butter, but only on the lowest setting and you have to watch it very carefully.