one of my exwifes favorite is a snickerdoodle, asugar cookie rolled in cinnamon and sugar.
and I use lard to make them, but alot of people frown on lard. but it works for me and you
can omit the cinnamon. just go to Dogpile Web Search Home Page and ask for sugar cookies.
I forget which way it goes, but I think recipes with either a higher amount of sugar or a higher amount of fat make cookies chewier. I'm tempted to say more sugar makes chewier cookies, while more fat makes crisper cookies.
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (to roll cookies in)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (to roll cookies in)
Preheat oven to 400.
Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs.
Sift dry ingredients, stir into first mixture.
Roll into balls the size of walnuts, and roll in mixture of 1 Tbl sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
Bake 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet 8-10 minutes.
I've been making my Grandma's killer sugar cookie for twenty five years. I roll them somewhat thick, they are crispy on the outside and cakey on the inside. I'm always getting requests for the recipe. Let me know if your interested.
My snickerdoodle recipe turns out some pretty soft/chewy cookies. I think the reason they're so soft is that the dough includes 3t of milk. Not sure about what makes them chewy though. Let me know if you want the recipe!
Here's an old family recipe that I think you'll enjoy:
Soft and Puffy Sugar Cookies
By: Aunt Velma
1 cup Shortening
1 cup Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
8 teaspoon milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups plus flour
Cream together shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in dry ingredients. Roll out to 1/2" thickness on a flowered board. Cut in large circles, sprinkle with sugar and bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet in preheated 325 degree oven till just barely golden.
I would agree with snickerdoodles. If you like a sugar cookie that is chewy make snickerdoodles. I use the betty crocker cookbook recipe and it's literally fool proof. Very easy to make.
I make cinnamon sugar and add some food color to it so the cookies have a tint of color to them and look rather festive.
Also the thing that makes cookies chewy is the type of fat you use. Cookies baked using shortening will be chewy and will keep their shapes better than those using butter.
Given shortening is not the healthiest (unless you use the non transfat variety) you are better off using butter. If you use butter and still want to get an end result that is chewy and has not completely spread out and turned flat you will need to chill that dough/batter before baking. This results butter to melt slowly while baking (since butter is colder) and cookies not to spread too much and stay chewier.