Sugar cookies have been a favorite of children and adults for years. The simplicity of taste and ease of making them enables them to be made even by those who are not expert cooks. Sugar cookies are also very versatile. They can be made round or in different shapes. They can be sprinkled with plain or colored sugar. They can be decorated with colored icings and decorated with chocolate chips and candied fruits. No matter how you serve them everyone will want more.
The sugar cookie has been around for quite some time. It is most often related to the Pennsylvania Dutch who immigrated to America and started to make their favorite cookie flavored with sugar. It caught on and soon the recipe was being shared all through the United States. It was so popular that in 2001 in became the state cookie for Pennsylvania.
Of course the sugar cookie was around a long time before the Dutch came to Pennsylvania but in a different form. It used to be that a baker would put a small cake in the oven to test the temperature and in the seventh century this was happening. It was a shame to let these little sugar cakes go in the trash so someone got the idea to sell them. French called them gimblettes and the Italians called them cimbellines.
The texture of some cookies is airy and light and they raise very high while in the oven. They have a bit of crunch on the edges but are very soft and light. Still other cookies are dense and crisp. Recipes are different and you can find the one you remember as a child.
In many recipes you roll the dough flat and use cookie cutters to cut it into different shapes. These type are favorites for many different holidays. They can be made into hearts on St. Valentines Day. They can be cut out in bunny or egg shape for Easter. Pumpkins can be cut out for Halloween. Cut out turkey cookies to celebrate Thanksgiving. The most popular are made a Christmas in various shapes including Christmas trees and Santa.
The following Soft Sugar Cookie recipe is made with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated sugar. They come out soft and fluffy. Do not try to use cookie cutters with this recipe because the cookie is to soft to make them that way.
Turn your oven on to 350 degrees F. With an electric mixer cream 1 half pound of butter that has been softened and add 1 cup powdered sugar slowly. Include 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring mixing it in well. In a separate bowl mix 2 cups of flour and 1 half teaspoon baking soda. Combine and gradually add to the egg mixture. Take a teaspoonful of dough and roll it into a 1 inch ball. Place on a cookie sheet that has been greased 2 inches apart. Using the tines of a fork press each ball down so it flattens. Leave in the oven for 6 minutes then let the cookies stay on the sheets for 5 more minutes. Take them off the sheet and place them on a rack to cool. If you desire you can sprinkle the top of the cookies with a little granulated sugar before baking.
The next recipe is a sugar cookie that is rolled flat and cut with cookie cutters. Using a large bowl take 1 and one half cups flour and sift it with two teaspoons of baking powder and 1 half teaspoon salt and place aside for later. In a bowl for the electric mixer place one cup butter and gradually add 1 and one half cups of granulated sugar. Beat until the mixture gets light and fluffy. In a small bowl beat 2 eggs. Add to the mixer with 1 tablespoon of milk and one teaspoon of vanilla. Slowly add 1 and a half additional flour until incorporated. The dough should not be stiff, but smooth so if it starts to stiffen stop adding the flour. Roll the entire bowl of dough into a ball and place it in wax paper to be placed in the refrigerator for a whole hour. Take out of the refrigerator and roll to about one fourth of an inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Sprinkle them with sugar or leave them alone to be decorated with colored icing after cooking. Put the shapes on non stick sprayed cookie sheets and bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges become lightly brown. Leave them on the cookie sheets for about 2 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
Sugar cookies are good any time of the year, not just during the holiday. Whip up a batch for your family and watch as they gobble them up as fast as you can make them.
The sugar cookie has been around for quite some time. It is most often related to the Pennsylvania Dutch who immigrated to America and started to make their favorite cookie flavored with sugar. It caught on and soon the recipe was being shared all through the United States. It was so popular that in 2001 in became the state cookie for Pennsylvania.
Of course the sugar cookie was around a long time before the Dutch came to Pennsylvania but in a different form. It used to be that a baker would put a small cake in the oven to test the temperature and in the seventh century this was happening. It was a shame to let these little sugar cakes go in the trash so someone got the idea to sell them. French called them gimblettes and the Italians called them cimbellines.
The texture of some cookies is airy and light and they raise very high while in the oven. They have a bit of crunch on the edges but are very soft and light. Still other cookies are dense and crisp. Recipes are different and you can find the one you remember as a child.
In many recipes you roll the dough flat and use cookie cutters to cut it into different shapes. These type are favorites for many different holidays. They can be made into hearts on St. Valentines Day. They can be cut out in bunny or egg shape for Easter. Pumpkins can be cut out for Halloween. Cut out turkey cookies to celebrate Thanksgiving. The most popular are made a Christmas in various shapes including Christmas trees and Santa.
The following Soft Sugar Cookie recipe is made with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated sugar. They come out soft and fluffy. Do not try to use cookie cutters with this recipe because the cookie is to soft to make them that way.
Turn your oven on to 350 degrees F. With an electric mixer cream 1 half pound of butter that has been softened and add 1 cup powdered sugar slowly. Include 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring mixing it in well. In a separate bowl mix 2 cups of flour and 1 half teaspoon baking soda. Combine and gradually add to the egg mixture. Take a teaspoonful of dough and roll it into a 1 inch ball. Place on a cookie sheet that has been greased 2 inches apart. Using the tines of a fork press each ball down so it flattens. Leave in the oven for 6 minutes then let the cookies stay on the sheets for 5 more minutes. Take them off the sheet and place them on a rack to cool. If you desire you can sprinkle the top of the cookies with a little granulated sugar before baking.
The next recipe is a sugar cookie that is rolled flat and cut with cookie cutters. Using a large bowl take 1 and one half cups flour and sift it with two teaspoons of baking powder and 1 half teaspoon salt and place aside for later. In a bowl for the electric mixer place one cup butter and gradually add 1 and one half cups of granulated sugar. Beat until the mixture gets light and fluffy. In a small bowl beat 2 eggs. Add to the mixer with 1 tablespoon of milk and one teaspoon of vanilla. Slowly add 1 and a half additional flour until incorporated. The dough should not be stiff, but smooth so if it starts to stiffen stop adding the flour. Roll the entire bowl of dough into a ball and place it in wax paper to be placed in the refrigerator for a whole hour. Take out of the refrigerator and roll to about one fourth of an inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Sprinkle them with sugar or leave them alone to be decorated with colored icing after cooking. Put the shapes on non stick sprayed cookie sheets and bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges become lightly brown. Leave them on the cookie sheets for about 2 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
Sugar cookies are good any time of the year, not just during the holiday. Whip up a batch for your family and watch as they gobble them up as fast as you can make them.
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