I just printed out the recipe for the No fail sugar cookies. Did you get it from CC?
They taste like a spoon of sugar.
What exactly do you mean? Do they crumble when you bite into it? Is the texture really granular like sugar?
My only suggestion would be to make sure you cream the buter and sugar really, really well. It's kinda difficult to overcream butter and sugar. This might help.
I made these cookies and I had to bake them about 6 minutes longer than the recipe said. I am not sure if it was the thickness or what. I know my oven is the right temp becaue I have a thermometer in it. My sil tasted them and she thought they were great.
I made the cookies about 1/4 inch thick. I realized I was making them too thick. I think they should have been thinner. The ones that were thin did bake in the time specified. They were crunchy.
I divided the batch into 5 (1 pound) disks and refrigerated them. I read somewhere to not do that but it still came out. I think I was rolling them out too thick because I was supposed to get 5 dozen out of the batch and I didn't. I also used a 3 inch heart cutter. So, all that too say, you probably rolled it out too thick.
One thing that has happened to me in the past - and perhaps, since your cookies tasted like flour, it might also have happened to you, is that I forget to 'fluff' the flour in the canister and lightly 'spoon' it into my measuring cup. sometimes I get busy and just scoop it out - but then I end up with too much flour because it was too compressed in the measuring cup.
Also. adding a lot of flour to roll them out, can make them more floury.
I watch my cookies often as they bake. Maybe your oven temp is low. I take them out when they just barely barely start to show a golden-brown tint around the sides- and the tops are puffed a bit.
Another thing you might consider is that these are 'decorater' cookies - they are usually finished off with an icing, glaze, or rolled buttercream. That really adds more flavor. Maybe they won't be too bad once you top them with something.
I wish you good luck on your next batch.
You should really try Martha's recipe next time. It's much, much, much better, IMO and is what I use exclusively.
A hint, though, when you add in the dry ingredients, only mix until "just" combined and that's it. Even though they are "only cookies", I don't like to develop the glueten in them too much and this way they are very tender and buttery and delish!
I have also rolled them out on powdered sugar--but I prefer rolling them between 2 pieces of parchment.
Also--the length of bake time is really going to depend on what you are cutting them with and how you are rolling them. I like my cookies to be really thick, so naturally they take longer to bake. When I'm doing them, I really watch the first batch carefully and decide how long it's going to take. Remember also that they will finish baking on the sheet out of the oven in the 1 to 2 minutes you have them sit before removing them to cooling racks.
I'm glad that these were just practice for you! I always like to practice with new recipes first.
Lisa
Hmm, I've made these lots of times with no problems. I roll them 1/4" thick using a guide. I don't remember having to bake them longer, but they're not supposed to be crunchy. The last time I made them for baby shower cookies (3 1/2" cutters) and I got 6 dozen out of them.
If they are not supposed to be crunchy then what are they supposed to be? The definately aren't soft sugar cookies.
I guess 'dense' would be a better description than crunchy or even crisp...at least the ones I made turned out that way. They were nice and firm on the outside, but when bitten they were semi-soft on the inside...that's why I described them as 'dense'. If they're crunchy or really crisp, I would guess they were either rolled too thinly or baked at too high of a temp or for too long. Baking this type of cookie even the teeniest bit too long can greatly change the texture and final product, IMO. I think it would be too difficult to bake a truly soft sugar cookie if they're intended to be decorated and stacked or packaged in some way. Since the royal icing adds moisture to the cookie once ices, I would think a soft cookie would just start to fall apart, eventually. If I'm completely wrong about this though, any of you more experienced with cookies please feel free to correct me! 
I've done my fair share of decorated cookies & am by far no expert, but the no-fail and Antonia74's icing have been the easiest to work with and most pleasing so far. 
Thanks JennT for clarifying that for me. I always wonder about a recipe and the way it is supposed to turn out when I am trying new things.
Can some one give a link to the Martha Stewart recipe?
I think with anything, you have to know your oven and watch asfar as baking times and temps. I made two batches, one after the other, of the No fail with two different results. The first was
3 1/2" round 1/4 thick cookies, they came out nice. Then I made a thinner cookie, about the same size but heart shaped, and they came out harder. I always keep my eye on the oven when making cookies because, you can't just judge by the time given in the recipe. Plus I like mine done, but not browned at all.
I think a lot of people think of "sugar cookies" as tasting something like the old recipes when you were a kid where you sprinkled the sugar on top and they came out crispy or chewy. I would say the "No Fail" recipe could be classified more as a "shortbread" cookie. I also notice that these cookies definitely taste better the next day and even better frosted! 
Definitely try them again, they are really worth it!
kos
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