Q1: Why did my cookies spread out and go flat?

The most common culprits are butter that was too soft (or melted) or over-creaming your butter and sugar. Your butter should be at a cool room temperature—soft enough to leave an indent, but not shiny or greasy. You can also try chilling your rolled dough balls for about 15-20 minutes before you bake them.

Q2: My cookies are hard and crunchy, not soft. What happened?

You overbaked them! The 6-7 minute bake time is the crucial secret. The cookies will look very soft and pale when they come out of the oven, but they will "set" and become perfectly soft and tender as they cool.

Q3: Do I really have to use lemon extract?

The lemon extract is the "Grandma's secret" to that classic, old-fashioned, "tea cake" flavor! If you are not a fan, you can simply substitute it with an equal amount of vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.

Q4: Can I chill my dough?

Yes! The recipe notes that you can chill the dough for about 30 minutes, which will make the sticky dough a bit easier to roll into balls.

Q5: Can I make these without nuts?

Of course! To make these nut-free, simply omit the pecan on top. The cookies will still be absolutely delicious—just a simple, buttery, glazed sugar cookie.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies (A Soft & Tender Classic!)

“Grandma Opal’s” Soft Sugar Cookies (An Easy Holiday Classic!)

A classic, old-fashioned recipe for ‘Gram Opal’s Sugar Cookies.’ This simple recipe features a soft, drop-style cookie dough made with butter, sugar, and a hint of lemon extract. The dough is rolled into balls, flattened with a glass, and baked until just set. The cooled cookies are then topped with a simple powdered sugar icing and a single pecan half.

Author: Grace

Ingredients

For the Cookies:
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
For the Icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon hot water, or as needed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
24 whole pecans

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt together in a bowl.
In a separate large bowl, beat 1 cup of softened butter, the white sugar, and the egg with an electric mixer until creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the flour mixture, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the lemon extract to the butter mixture. Stir until the dough is well blended.
Roll the cookie dough into walnut-size balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Press each ball down with the bottom of a glass to flatten it slightly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 7 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Icing: While the cookies cool, stir the confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup of melted butter, the hot water, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla together in a bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved and the icing is smooth.
Spread the icing on the cooled cookies and top each cookie with a whole pecan.

Notes

This is a classic ‘drop cookie’ recipe, but the dough is rolled into balls and flattened with a glass.
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes, while optional, is recommended to make the soft dough easier to roll out (as mentioned in the original recipe tip, which was not included in the provided text).
The icing is a simple glaze, not a fluffy buttercream.
Ensure the cookies are completely cool before frosting, or the icing will melt and run off.

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/old-fashioned-sugar-cookies-2/