My Amish relatives love their sour cream cookies. In fact, my great grandfather loved them so much that the family started calling them grandpa’s cookies. This recipe produces a soft, cake-like cookie similar to my recipe for Amish sugar cookies. The addition of sour cream makes the cookies delightfully tender and when paired with the caramel frosting, it is a match made in dessert heaven!
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Sour Cream Cookies with Caramel Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Homemade Caramel frosting:
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 dashes salt
- 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
- Cream butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Whisk in eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract until well combined. Combine dry ingredients, then mix into the wet ingredients, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain in the dough.
- Drop the dough by spoonful onto parchment lined baking sheets allowing several inches of space between each cookie. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges and set in the centers. Allow to cool.
Caramel Frosting:
- Melt butter in a medium sized, 2-quart saucepan, then add brown sugar and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Once the mixture reaches a slow boil, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Add milk and salt, then continue stirring until the caramel comes to a full boil. Immediately remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Once the caramel has cooled, sift confectioners' sugar and add 1/2 cup at a time. Mix the frosting (with a hand mixer) between each addition of confectioners' sugar. Add confectioners' sugar until the icing has become thick enough to frost the cookies.
- Frost each of the cooled cookies using the back of a teaspoon or piping bag fitted with a round piping attachment. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients needed for these sour cream cookies: Flour, baking soda, vanilla extract, eggs, baking powder, salt, sour cream, brown sugar and butter.
For the caramel frosting: butter, brown sugar, milk, salt and confectioners’ sugar.
Baking tips for these cookies:
Always level the flour by using a knife to scrape of excess flour on top of the measuring cup. Too much flour will result in dry cookies, but too little flour will cause the cookies to spread too much while baking. If the dough isn’t fluffy and feels too thick/dry, you can add another egg or more sour cream until the desired consistency is reached.
Step 1: Cream butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Whisk in eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract until well combined. Combine dry ingredients, then mix into the wet ingredients, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain in the dough.
Step 2: Drop the cookie dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets using a teaspoon or medium sized ice cream scoop. Allow space between the cookies as they will spread a bit while baking. I do 6-8 cookies per half baking sheet.
Step 2 continued: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit) until golden on the edges and set in the centers. Be sure to allow the cookies plenty of time to bake fully, while also ensuring they don’t get overbaked. The cookies should have a nice golden color once baked.
Touch test for ensuring the cookies are finished:
My mother taught me this trick for checking the cookies for doneness. Lightly touch the center of a cookie, if the cookie sinks away from your finger it is still underdone. If the cookie can hold up to a light tap, then it is done in the center.
For the caramel frosting: Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan, then add brown sugar and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Once the mixture reaches a slow boil, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Add milk and salt, then continue stirring until the caramel comes to a full boil. Immediately remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Caramel frosting continued: Once the caramel sauce has cooled, add confectioners’ sugar (1/2 cup at a time) while mixing well between each addition. Add just enough confectioners’ sugar to get the frosting thick enough to spread onto the cookies.
Last but not least, Frost the cookies using the back of a teaspoon or a piping bag fitted with a round piping attachment. Personally, I find it easiest to use a teaspoon but do whichever you find works best for you!
Storage options for these cookies:
These cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, but any longer they should be kept refrigerated. For long term storage, you can freeze the cookies for several months if tightly wrapped or in an airtight container. The frosting can be frozen, but I recommend freezing the cookies before frosting for freshest results.
As always thanks for stopping by! I pray you are having a blessed day and that you can find joy in the little things today. -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight
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These old fashioned cookies are delightful! They remind me of similar sour cream cookies I enjoyed as a child. The recipe is easy and the frosting is delicious. And yes, be sure not to over bake!
I am so glad you are enjoying them too! Thanks for your positive comment.