This sugar cookie recipe is one of our favorite quick and easy treats! The cookies have soft and chewy middles, lightly crisp edges, and a delicious buttery flavor. Enjoy them plain or decorate them with frosting or colored sugar!
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
Gradually add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies. Alternatively, for extra sweetness and crunch on the outsides of the cookies, roll the dough into balls and then roll in sugar before placing on the baking sheets.
Bake, one sheet at a time, for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed, spread, and just beginning to turn lightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.