Wondra Flour Sugar Cookies are very thick sugar cookie cut-outs made with Wondra brand flour. They were a bit of an experiment, but at the time I was happy with the results. I'd hoped to see a difference in the texture, and I did!
Wondra Flour
If you are reading this and wondering what the heck Wondra flour is, it's a quick dissolving flour often used for lump-free gravies and sauces. Also known as "instantized flour", Wondra has traditionally and might still come in a canister, but our local HEB sells it in a 2 pound blue box with recipes on the side.
Wondra Recipes
One of the recipes on the box is a chocolate chip cookie recipe. I tried it months ago and the cookies were fine, but not so great that I'd run out and buy Wondra just to make them. They weren't bumpy, scraggly and chewy chocolate chip cookies, but rather homogeneous throughout. And while I didn't care for that texture in chocolate chip cookies, it occurred to me that it might be great for making even textured, thick, fine-crumbed cut-outs. After more than a few trials, this recipe was the end result.
Wondra Flour Sugar Cookies
The cookies have a dense, tight crumbed and sandy texture, but are softer and not as rich as shortbread. Like Lofthouse cookies, they are a perfect canvas for frosting, whereas actual shortbread kind of clashes with frosting. The Wondra flour plus the finely ground sugar made all the difference. I tried a few variations -- using cake flour, not grinding the sugar and experimenting with different brands of butter. This version beat he others, though a variation (found in the notes) using confectioners' sugar and a little evaporated milk came really close.
The dough is impossible to roll because it is so dry and crumbly. You have to pat it out onto parchment paper, chill and cut, which in my opinion is even simpler than rolling. You do have to allow for at least an hour of chill time -- preferably more, as the cookies taste better when made with dough that's chilled overnight.
I've made this recipe about 6 times in the past week, and Beth in New Jersey was nice enough to test it too. We both loved the results, as did all our tasters. My only complaint is that the dough is dry and doesn't behave the way typical roll-out cut-outs should behave. But that's what I have for now, and the end result is a very crumbly but uniform, light, cookie. If you try the recipe, let me know what you think!
Recipe
Thick Cut-Out Cookies with Wondra Flour
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups Wondra Flour 365 grams -- Weigh or spoon into the cup carefully
- 1 ½ teaspoon Rumford baking powder non-aluminum tastes better
- ¾ teaspoon plus a pinch of kosher salt omit if using salted butter
- 2 sticks 8 oz unsalted Land o' Lakes butter, softened to cool room temp.
- 1 cup 7 oz granulated sugar, ground in a coffee grinder after measuring
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 large or extra-large egg at room temperature
Frosting:
- 2 sticks 230 grams butter, unsalted, softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon of great quality vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper. This will not be the tray you bake on, but the tray that holds the dough while it chills.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add ground sugar and beat on high for two minutes or until mixture is creamy and smooth. Beat in the vanilla, scraping sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat until mixed.
- Gradually add flour mixture and stir to form a very stiff, dry dough. If you are using a handheld mixer, put the mixer down and use your hands to form the dough. If you are using a stand mixer with a paddle, you can let the paddle do the work. Dough might be more like crumbs, but they should hold together when you press them down.
- Empty the flour mixture out onto the lined tray and pat it down into a slab that's about ½ inch thick. You won't be able to cut it at this point because it's too crumbly. Using your hands, mash it inward and make it a tight slab. Cover with a sheet of nonstick foil or parchment and chill for at least an hour (preferably longer) or until the slab is very firm and holds together.
- You will not need any extra flour when cutting shapes. Using a 2 inch to 2 ½ cookie cutter, punch shapes out of the dough slab and carefully (they are delicate) arrange them on baking sheets.
- Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack. They will become sturdier as they cool.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the salt (omit if using salted butter), then add the sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla. If necessary, add a little whole milk to get the consistency you want. Decorate with this frosting or if transporting, use a royal frosting. This one crusts over, but will not get hard.
Anna says
Elena, we moved to Chicago and I can't find the boxed Wondra either. I haven't made these cookies since.
Elena says
I enjoy making the chocolate chip recipe on the Wondra box. I will give these a try. However, it has become impossible to find in the box where I live. Too expensive on Amazon. Buying the canister size is pricey too as you would need to buy 2-3. Any suggestions?
Anna says
Carol, I agree. These cookies take some extra care, but when you get the dough just right they're really good.
Carol Joyner says
i have made sugar cookies with Wondra for the last 49 years, and I will never substitute another sugar cookie recipe for it. They are simply the best1 They are a bit tricky to roll out but i do roll them and almost paper thin, because we like our sugar cookies thin and crispy, not doughy.
Carol says
A cut out sugar cookie without icing! Someone once told me they never had icing on their sugar cookies just sugar sprinkles. I told them they were crazy!
I am going to have to try these. I think in IL I used to be able to get this flour in a canister. I haven't bought it in PA for a long time but now I have a reason to look for it again.
Anna says
Erin, I think cream would work in this case. Also, I tried using European style butter (which makes a dryer dough) and adding a few tablespoons of evaporated milk to offset the butter's missing moisture. The cookies puffed a bit more than when I left out the extra liquid. So far, the cookies have been better with dry dough. They might have a bit of a cracked appearance, but they end up getting covered with icing and the moisture from the icing sinks in and rounds everything out.
I will add that this is not a cookie I would eat without icing. I also wouldn't eat a Lofthouse cookie without icing.
Erin says
I've added cream to a crumbly cookie dough recipe in the past and had good results. I imagine it would be similar to evaporated milk.
I will first try it as you recommend.
Anna says
Hi Erin,
I hope you like them! The interesting thing is that any small changes (and I've tested quite a few) make a difference in the recipe. It's funny, because you think a sugar cookie is just a sugar cookie, but there are so many different variations.
I just tried another one this morning. Since I liked the flavor of European style butter but didn't like how dry the dough was, I added a small amount of evaporated milk. The cookies spread a tiny bit due to the evaporated milk, but the dough was easier to work with and the cookies were incredibly.
Erin says
Thank you for the post. I am always looking for a sturdy yet flavorful sugar cookie. I will be trying these in the near future.