ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES (LAURA'S COPYCAT RECIPE) (2024)

ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES (LAURA'S COPYCAT RECIPE) (1)

In Dayton, Ohio there is a grocery store chain called Dorothy Lane Market (DLM). They have an amazing bakery and one of their most famous items is their “Laura’s Cookies”. They are almondy deliciousness and they have been a favorite of mine for years. I’ve tried to find recipes, but since there aren’t any, I decided to try and make my own…and this is as close as I could get! Now living states away, these cookies remind me of home <3

This recipe has been updated as of January 2023. I am a bit of a perfectionist so I've been continuously modifying and updating the recipe - if you have any questions about previous versions, don't hesitate to reach out! I've included the ingredients to the older recipes at the bottom of this page.

ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES (LAURA'S COPYCAT RECIPE) (2)

ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES (LAURA'S COPYCAT RECIPE) (3)

ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES (LAURA'S COPYCAT RECIPE) (4)

I used my Almond Sugar Cookie Recipe for the base and an almond flavored royal icing for the frosting.

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE COOKIES:

  • 12 TABLESPOONS OF SOFTENED UNSALTED BUTTER
  • 1 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
  • 2 EGGS
  • 2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
  • 1/2 TSP ALMOND EXTRACT (OR USE 1/4 TSP IF YOU DON’T WANT THE FLAVOR AS STRONG)
  • 3 CUP FLOUR (ALL-PURPOSE)
  • 1 TSP BAKING POWDER
  • 1/2 TSP SALT

FOR THE ICING:

  • 10 OZ POWDERED SUGAR
  • 3 TBSP MERINGUE POWDER
  • 1/4 CUP WATER
  • 2 TSP ALMOND EXTRACT
  • GEL FOOD COLORING
  • SPRINKLES/COLORED SUGAR/ETC.

OTHER ITEMS:

  • PARCHMENT PAPER
  • ROLLING PIN
  • BAKING SHEETS
  • PIPING BAGS (OR SANDWICH BAGS WORK GREAT TOO!)
  • COOKIE CUTTERS

________________________________________

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE COOKIES:

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix until combined.

On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough (with rolling pin) to desired thickness (I made it about 1/4 inch thick). Then place your flattened dough into the fridge to cool (1-2 hours is preferred)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take out your chilled dough (still on the parchment paper) and cutout your cookies to desired shape.

Put cookies into the fridge for another 20-30 minutes before you put it in the oven to prevent spreading.

Take the cookies out and place a few inches apart on a baking sheet. Put into the oven for 8-10 minutes.

Pull the cookies out when they are a light pale color and the top of the cookies aren’t glossy anymore - take out of the oven right before they start to turn golden, you don't want to overbake!

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then move to baking sheet.

Let the cookies cool completely before decorating

FOR THE ICING:

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the powdered sugar, meringue powder, water, and almond extract for about 5 minutes on low speed (if you don't have a stand mixer, you can also whisk the mixture by hand!)

If you want to use food coloring, mix in a few drops of the gel food coloring to the mixture and stir it in — I split the icing into two bowls and color them

To make the icing thinner, add more water (I use a thinner icing to make the base color)

To make the icing thicker, add more powdered sugar (I use a thicker icing for details)

Decorate your cookie with your chosen consistency and coloring - you can use piping bags here for details, or use spatulas/knives/spoons to achieve a solid base of icing

To get the Laura’s cookie “look”, apply a thinner icing to the cookie and put it to the side until completely dried. Then, apply a thicker icing as detail and finish with some colored sugar.

________________________________________

Some tips:

After cutting out the cookies from flattened dough, reform dough and roll out to continue process until you've used it all up.

Let unfrosted cookies cool completely. I put mine in the fridge for a few hours. But, if they are still warm when you put icing on, it will melt right off.

When making the icing, using a stand mixer works best, although you could probably do it by hand if you really want to. The mixer just makes it super smooth.

Don’t put iced cookies in the fridge right away. The icing wont set if its cold and it just slides right off the cookie (I learned this the hard way!). Just leave out on the counter for a few hours to set.

If you don't have a piping bag, you can take a sandwich bag and fill with icing as you would a piping bag. Simply snip off a small corner at the bottom to dispense!

ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES (LAURA'S COPYCAT RECIPE) (5)

________________________________________

Previous Recipe Notes:

If you prefer the older versions of this recipe, please see below for ingredient lists. Directions follow similarly to the steps in the most recent recipe, although the previous recipes with sour cream and shortening are incorporated following creaming the butter and sugar. The icing recipe is the same as the current version.

VERSION 1:

  • 8 TABLESPOONS OF SOFTENED BUTTER (SALTED) —
    (YOU CAN ALSO USE 8 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER AND 1/4 TSP SALT)
  • 1 1/2 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
  • 1/4 CUP SOUR CREAM
  • 2 EGGS
  • 2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
  • 1/2 TSP ALMOND EXTRACT (OR USE 1/4 TSP IF YOU DON’T WANT THE FLAVOR AS STRONG)
  • 2 3/4 CUP FLOUR (ALL-PURPOSE)
  • 1/2 TSP BAKING POWDER

VERSION 2:

  • 8 TABLESPOONS OF SOFTENED BUTTER (SALTED) —
    (YOU CAN ALSO USE 8 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER AND 1/4 TSP SALT)
  • 3 TABLESPOONS OF SHORTENING
  • 1 3/4 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
  • 1/4 CUP SOUR CREAM
  • 2 EGGS
  • 2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
  • 1/2 TSP ALMOND EXTRACT (OR USE 1/4 TSP IF YOU DON’T WANT THE FLAVOR AS STRONG)
  • 3 1/4 CUP FLOUR (ALL-PURPOSE)
  • 1/2 TSP BAKING POWDER
ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES (LAURA'S COPYCAT RECIPE) (2024)

FAQs

How to spice up sugar cookies? ›

Almond Extract: For a twist on the traditional sugar cookie flavor, try adding a small amount of almond extract. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and adjust according to your preference. Citrus Zest: Incorporate the zest of citrus fruits like lemon, orange, or lime into the dough. The zest adds a bright and refreshing flavor.

How to improve Pillsbury sugar cookies? ›

Mix in tasty ingredients

Take plain sugar cookies up a notch with exciting mix-ins like chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, toasted chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit or M&M's. Add these after blending your butter and egg into the sugar cookie mix. This is our favorite hack for holiday Pillsbury cookie dough.

Why do Chinese restaurants have almond cookies? ›

Almond cookies symbolize coins and will be sure to bring you good fortune. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Why do you put almond flour in cookies? ›

Almond flour yields tender treats — learn how and when to use it in your baking. Like any nut, almonds are high in fat; and fat helps make baked treats moist and tender. This can be a good thing: think pancakes. Or not: think crusty artisan bread, whose texture veers towards chewy rather than tender.

What gives cookies more flavor? ›

Caramel or regular popcorn, salty potato chips, and pretzels are especially good ideas; just break up any large pieces by roughly crushing them as you add them to the dough. It might be old hat by now, but it's still true: Salt makes cookies taste better.

How do you keep sugar cookies crisp? ›

Summer, though welcomed for the sun and fun, also brings humidity that makes your cookies limp -- not so fun. Keep those cookies crisp by storing them in an airtight container. Some people toss a piece of bread in with the cookies to help absorb any excess moisture.

Can I roll out Pillsbury sugar cookie dough? ›

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon flour onto work surface; coat all sides of dough with flour. With rolling pin, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick, adding additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Is it better to bake cookies at 325 or 350? ›

350° is the standard temp for a cookie, and it's a great one. Your cookies will bake evenly and the outside will be done at the same time as the inside. Baking at 325° also results in an evenly baked cookie, but the slower cooking will help yield a chewier cookie. The outsides will be a little softer, too.

How do you keep Pillsbury sugar cookie dough from spreading? ›

Chilling cookie dough helps prevent spreading. The colder the dough, the less the cookies will over-spread into greasy puddles. You'll have thicker, sturdier, and more solid cookies. Whenever I make cookies, I plan ahead and chill the cookie dough overnight.

Where are almond cookies from? ›

Chinese almond cookies, which are native to southern- and southeastern China, were introduced in the U.S. after the first wave of Chinese immigrants came to the country. Thus, like fortune cookies and other popular Chinese dishes, Chinese almond cookies also became much desired by the masses.

What are cookies usually made of? ›

It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, or nuts. Most English-speaking countries call crunchy cookies "biscuits", except for the United States and Canada, where "biscuit" refers to a type of quick bread.

Where did almond cookies originate? ›

Almond cookies were introduced to the U.S by southern Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. Some say the Chinese almond cookie is a Chinese-American adaptation of the Chinese walnut cookie known as Hup Toh Soh (核桃酥), which was invented in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty.

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