Is This The Perfect Sugar Cookie?

I was born and raised in Missouri, the 'show me' state.  Don't ask me why, but that's what Missouri is called.  So when I saw a recipe called 'THE PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE', I though, oh yeah, SHOW ME!  

I've been baking for years, actually, decades.  Hey, I started really young!  So when I read the ingredients I thought, 'this ain't no sugar cookie'!   Sugar cookies are similar to shortbread only a little softer and less crumbly.  They are the kind of dough you can roll out and decorate for Christmas cookies.  There is no way this dough fits that description.  Still, it looked tasty and it had an irresistible ingredient, CREAM CHEESE!  So let's make a batch and see what we get. 

The list of ingredients contains the usual suspects with the addition of 2 ounces of cream cheese.  Ready?  Here's what you need:

2 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white flour
2 ounces cream cheese - room temp.
6 Tablespoons butter - melted
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the sugar and mix until totally combined. 

Pour in the egg, oil and vanilla, beat together until smooth.  Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough. 

At this point, I put the cookie dough into the fridge to chill while I heated the oven to 350 F/180C. 

The recipe says to line two baking sheets with parchment paper but the dough is so rich with butter, oil and cream cheese that there is no way the cookies will stick. So it's up to you!  I did half with baking paper and half without!  

To bake the cookies, place about 1/3 cup sugar into a little bowl.  Use a small scoop or take about 2 tablespoons of dough, roll it into a ball and drop the dough ball into the bowl of sugar.  Roll it around to coat it with sugar, place the dough ball onto the baking tray.  With a glass or a fork, gently flatten the dough ball just a little to make a cookie shape.   Be sure to leave a couple of inches between each cookie on the baking sheet.  They will spread when baking. 

Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes or until they are set and start to slightly brown around the edges.  Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking trays before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.  Be sure to store them in an airtight container.

So are these the Perfect Sugar Cookie?  Well, in my opinion NO!  They aren't a sugar cookie at all.  They are a lovely, chewy, soft vanilla cookie.  When I make them again, and I will make them again, I am going to add white chocolate chips.   Then I think they just MIGHT be the Perfect White Chocolate Chip Cookie!  

Give them a try, if you turn them into White Chocolate Chip Cookies, please SHOW ME!  I'd love to know how they turn out!