Do you remember those cookies from the grocery store that are covered in brightly-colored frosting and then topped with lots of fun sprinkles? Lofthouse Cookies is their official name, but if you’ve only referred to them as “those magical, frosted, grocery-store sugar cookies,” that’s totally fine too. Those cookies are not only adorable, but also insanely delicious and addictive, and for years we’ve debated about what makes them so special and whether or not we could make them at home.
Is it the perfect cakey-cookie balance that we notice in every bite or the way the frosting sets to perfection? Is it the lofted nature of the cookie – no flat-as-a-pancake confections to be seen here – or the way the cookie basically just melts in your mouth as soon as you take a bite? Whatever it is, we’re here to tell you that you can, in fact, make them yourself.
And you know what? They’re even better than the original!! The two main ingredients that set this recipe apart from other sugar cookie recipes are sour cream (in the cookie dough) and vegetable shortening (in the frosting). The sour cream adds moisture and lightness to the dough, and keeps it from being tough or chewy; the vegetable shortening is used to help the frosting set, to get the slightly crisp shell, leaving light and fluffy frosting underneath.
To top it all off, feel free to go crazy with the sprinkles – jimmies or nonpareils, you can’t go wrong with any choice…but we do feel partial to using the traditional rainbow sprinkles to give that classic vibe. Trust us, the pride you’ll feel after having made the cutest cookies out there will only be surpassed by your joy when you bite into one and realize how amazing they are. You won’t be going back to store-bought!
Please continue to Next Page (>) for the full list of ingredients and complete cooking instructions.