The first one will probably taste better. One of my recipes that uses only yolks is one of my favorites. French sables use only yolks.

I haven't been real impressed with butter cookies that use confectioner's sugar. It's supposed to make them very tender and they are softer as I recall, but I like crispy cookies.

I agree with Eileen.

Thank you Eileen - that's just the experience I was hoping for. I prefer a cookie with a bit of crisp, too.

My sister makes creme brulee with egg yolks and my BIL uses the whites for a chocolate roulade. Because they are competitive people, they call it Dueling Desserts and want us to vote on a favorite. Everybody wins.

We always made divinity with the egg whites.

My cookies recipes. The first one uses almond flavoring and I love, but grandson is allergic to nuts and dairy. The second is very good and I just use Earth Balance margarine, which is dairy free.

I am the only one who likes any of the egg white options and the LAST thing I need are sweets that won't be eaten by anyone else! I cannot be trusted to walk away 🙄. Safest thing for me to do is use another butter or sugar cookie recipe - the one with the egg yoks only came from my mom. DH will be disappointed. They are his favorite, unfrosted, no sprinkles, just plain.

Sherry we cross posted and I missed your recipes - thank you.

If you need an easier to read recipe, let me know and I will message. If you want the divinity candy recipe same thing, let me know.

They don't like angel food cake? That would use up your egg whites.

I have a very tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe. But this year I broke down and browned the butter first because browned butter is supposed to make everything better.

I disagree, at least with mine. It made everything greasier and spready-er. And the flavor difference was lost on me. Back to the tried and true.

@Bunny do you chill your CCC dough overnight? I have a tried and true with regular butter that requires chilling but do it with most of my cookie doughs as well. I tried a CC&Toffee with browned butter this year - it's very good and also requires chilling.

@Trapped - angel food cake is not on a favorites list in my family - they see it only as a vehicle for something tastier!

@DLM2000-GW, in this case I did, after having made the individual balls of dough. My practice with the good recipe is to chill at least for several hours. I don't want the dough to spread too quickly in the oven. My first batch always spreads too much, so this time I used an oven thermometer and realized it took an extra 15 minutes or so to reach 350 after my oven buzzed that it had reached it. I want a chewy cookie, not enormous.

I know many think a warm cookie out of the oven is the best way to eat it. But I discovered that frozen CC cookies, just beginning to thaw, so that they're not stiff, take on a whole new texture and are even chewier.

Oh YEAH - frozen is the way to go! I also keep my fruit bars in the freezer - yum!

DLM, so glad you like frozen cookies too. Discovered it by accident. They're like fudgy toffee, even the flavor is better.

I thought that freezing a bag of Tate's ccc would help me not binge on them when I was jonsing for sugar. Yep, I discovered they are so fantastic frozen.

@Sherry8aNorthAL - the first recipe looks great - I assume it's a roll out/cookie cutter dough - yes? No point in messaging me, the message function here is all messed up but I think I can read it well enough as is. Thanks.

Yes, it is a great roll out dough. It is the first one that really "worked" for me as well as the cookies tasting great and holding their shape. They are good without any frosting or glaze. Before that, my cut out cookies were just a puffy, bready, and did not taste like anything but flour. My neighbor gave it to me. I would still use it, but for the fact of an allergic grandson.

Sugar Cookies

Madeliene, November 1990

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter or margarine, softened (I used butter, unsalted)

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon valilla

1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring

In medium mixing bowl stir together flour and baking powder. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, beat until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond flavoring. Beat well. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Chill overnight. Bake at 375* for 6 to 8 minutes.

Note: Cookies are best just done or set, not really brown.

Note 2: I use the air bake aluminum cookie sheets.

Sherry, allergies notwithstanding, which of the two recipes do you prefer? If one didn't want to use any almond extract, would you just substitute with more vanilla?

The first one, no substitutions!

I have to use almond extract?

Bunny I have 2 disks of this dough chilling now. Personally I love almond and the 1/2 tsp is not going to be overpowering at all. But if you dislike ANY almond, leave it out - the 1/2 tsp is not going to change the dough structure or add a bit more vanilla.

A bit of almond extract with the vanilla gives it a touch of a professional bakery. It's really nice in a yellow cake.

Okay, I see it's only 1/4 tsp. of almond extract. I don't object to the flavor in some things, just never used it in a plain cookie before. I'll give it a try.

Speaking of vanilla: I love it in baked goods. A CCC would be dull without it. But...I made some blueberry compote (easy and declicious) that called for vanilla. It ruined it for me. The flavor was entirely weird and intrusive. Now I make it without and it's yummy.

After typing the recipe out, I remember why I quit making them twenty years ago. It was the creme cheese,( dairy).

I like the almond in the cookies, but it could easily be left out. The creme cheese is essential.

Philadelphia has come out with an excellent tasting dairy free cream cheese, so I think I will try making again and see if they work.

Sometimes the dairy free doesn't cook the same. I have an excellent dairy free margarine, that tastes and cooks like butter, Earth Balance sticks. I like the taste of the Philadelphia vegan cream cheese, but haven’t cooked with it.

You could add a little lemon zest instead of almond. Maybe increase the vanilla. Sally uses 2 tsp. in hers.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/christmas-cookie-sparkles/

Here are the ingredients I use to make Danish butter cookies:

• 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 2-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Amaretto

Cream butter and sugar. Beat egg yolks in, one at a time. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Chill dough. Roll dough into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press dough with any press or glass dipped in sugar.
Bake at 325 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove immediately from cookie sheet and cool.
Yield: about 30 cookies

Like Sherry's recipe, mine has no salt - the cookies taste sweeter (and better IMO) without salt.

If you do not have almond extract, I think you should be able to substitute Amaretto in Sherry's recipe. Vanilla would give a different flavor.