December 14, 2011

Cookies Worth Making from Scratch

I'm not a huge cookie fan.  I'll eat them (often more than I should), but I don't flutter my eyelashes at the thought of sugar cookies.  In fact sugar cookies kind of fall into the same category as birthday cake from the grocery, boxed pudding, and peanut brittle: not worth the calories.
But THESE sugar cookies are worth every stinkin calorie!  They even stay soft, which is a big deal round here.  The original recipe is from here, and if you haven't skipped over to Cafe Sucre Farin, you're missing out.  If you're not a "from scratch" kind of girl, these cookies are a good place to start out.


Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 stick butter, softened
1 large egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, cream the sugars and the butter. Mix in egg, set aside. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar. Add the oil and the flour mixture alternately to creamed sugars, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Cover and chill in refrigerator three to four hours or in the freezer for 30 mins.
Heat oven to 350.
Roll dough into small balls, 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Place on cookies sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and flatten with the bottom of a glass, using a small square of wax or parchment paper to keep the dough from sticking to the bottom of the glass.
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Lemon Icing (pink above)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Sugar Icing (green above)
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

4 comments:

Mom said...

Mmmm,if I had some eggs I'd make some of these...

Melissa Pelton said...

Hey Gretchen,
That is my "Favorite" recipe for sugar cookies. Have had it for years!!! And I always make them at Christmas and share with friends!! I also like what I call "Mexican-Wedding Cake Cookies"-flour, powdered sugar, vanilla and of course butter!!! bake then roll in powdered sugar. My new fav cookie is peanut butter blossoms!! kids luv em' and I do too :)
A few weeks ago, I bought Adele's 21 CD, and have been rocking out ever since. I LOVE her voice, and even though most of the songs are of a scourned woman, the way she belts out her voice with such composure, control and balance is simply AMAZING!!! Love her!!!
Have a blessed day!
Melissa

Melissa Pelton said...

Oh, wanted to share one more thing...the ornament at the top of your page...I bought one very similar to yours at Shops of BaileyWick. The one I chose has a sweet drawing of the nativity scene. "O,Come Let Us Adore Him!!" appears as an arch over the manger. There is also a cute lil' donkey and sheep sitting outside of the trio, I love it!!
I usually buy a couple new ornaments for the season. This year I decided to buy only "one" and when I found the nativity ornament... I thought "Symbolical to our Saviour", We have an audience of "one".
Baby Jesus is front and center on my tree, as always...

Renee Johnson said...

These were the yummiest cookies. Thanks for sharing!