When I was little, baking with Woo-Woo (my grandmother) was one of my very favorite activities. Last year around this time, I shared the story of winning 1st place at the church baking competition with her pumpkin pie on my personal blog. This year, as we get closer to the season of family and houseguests, I wanted to tell you about her sugar cookies.
Woo-Woo baked a few dozen sugar cookies for every holiday. They were huge cookies that were bunny shapes and Christmas tree shapes and snowmen shapes–all with a layer of pale pastel buttercream frosting. I used to think the recipes was her mothers. Then, when I finally got her to show me the recipe, she pulled out a newspaper clipping that I believe she got from my Aunt Judy. It read: “Mom’s Soft Sugar Cookies”–so it was someone’s mom just not her’s! Regardless, each year when Fall arrives, I feel the urge to bake these cookies. They take a little time, so it’s worth it to make a couple batches at once and share with friends just like she did.
Cookie Ingredients:
3 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg unbeaten
1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla
1⁄2 cup thick sour cream
Sift together flour, soda, and salt.
Combine butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Beat together and add sour cream and flour mixture gradually.
Wrap up the dough in plastic and stick it in the fridge for about an hour.
Preheat over to 375°F.
Roll out on a floured board until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. (These stay pretty thick. The trick is to make sure that they’re all around the same size so that they cook evenly.)
Sprinkle with sugar, roll in lightly.
Cut into shapes and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool completely.
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk
Cream butter until soft and add salt.
Gradually add part of sugar to the butter.
Blend in egg and vanilla.
Add remaining sugar alternately with milk until it is of spreading consistency.
Add food coloring. I have recently fallen in love with Wilton Gel Coloring
. Start with an 1⁄8 tsp. because it adds a lot of bold color very quickly.
Ice your cookies.
Click here to print the recipe, and please let us know if you bake any for the holidays!
