Sugar cookies have been in family cookie jars for years and years. They are simple in taste and they are easy to make as well. You can make sugar cookies in several different ways. Sugar cookies can be rolled into balls and flattened on the cookie sheet. They can have sprinkles of colored sugar. They can be spread with colored frosting and decorated with other things like chocolate chips. It does not matter how you present them to your family and friends as they will love them any way you make them.
Sugar cookies have been made for quite a long time. The modern recipe was invented by immigrants coming from the Dutch lands to America and eventually called Pennsylvania Dutch. The recipe was very popular and soon it was known all over the world. Pennsylvania adopted the cookie as the state cookie in 2001.
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.
On variety of sugar cookie is fluffy and light and they become quite tall while in the oven baking. There is a bit of crunch to the edge but the middles are soft and sweet. Another variety is made where the cookie is a little harder and crisp. Both are wonderfully sweet and tasty.
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 recipe below is a very soft cookie that uses confectioners' sugar and not the granulated variety of sugar. These cookies are light and fluffy so do not use cookie cutters to try and cut them. They will just fall apart if you try.
First turn the oven on to 350 degrees F. In a bowl with an electric mixer mix 1 half pound of butter that has been softened. Gradually add one whole cup of confectioners' sugar. Continue by adding 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and combine well. Combine 2 cups of flour and one half of a teaspoon of baking soda in another bowl. Mix together and gradually add to egg mixture. Take a teaspoon and scoop out some dough rolling it into a 1 inch ball. Grease a cookie sheet and place balls at least 2 inches apart then using the tines of a fork press the cookie flat. Bake 6 minutes or until brown then take out of the oven and let the cookies harden up for about five minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. If you like you can shake a little granulated sugar on the surface before you put them in the oven. This recipe will make about five dozen round cookies.
The following recipe is one that you roll and can cut into shapes and decorate. In a large bowl sift one and one half cups flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder and one half teaspoon salt and set the bowl aside. In a mixing bowl cream 1 cup butter then gradually start to add one and one half cup granulated sugar. Beat until fluffy. Break two eggs in a small bowl and beat. Add these to the butter mixture along with one tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. Gradually add one and one half more cups of flour to the mixture. The dough should be smooth and not stiff so if it seems that there is enough flour and you have not added the whole one and a half cups do not worry. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in wax paper and place in the refrigerator for one hour. Roll out to about one fourth of an inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar or leave them plain to be frosted with colored icing later. Place on cookie sheets that have been sprayed with a nonstick spray and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes making sure the edges do not get too brown. Let them sit for a few minutes and transfer onto a cooling rack.
Make sugar cookies all times of the year instead of just during holidays. Make some for your friends and family and they will not last long.
Sugar cookies have been made for quite a long time. The modern recipe was invented by immigrants coming from the Dutch lands to America and eventually called Pennsylvania Dutch. The recipe was very popular and soon it was known all over the world. Pennsylvania adopted the cookie as the state cookie in 2001.
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.
On variety of sugar cookie is fluffy and light and they become quite tall while in the oven baking. There is a bit of crunch to the edge but the middles are soft and sweet. Another variety is made where the cookie is a little harder and crisp. Both are wonderfully sweet and tasty.
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 recipe below is a very soft cookie that uses confectioners' sugar and not the granulated variety of sugar. These cookies are light and fluffy so do not use cookie cutters to try and cut them. They will just fall apart if you try.
First turn the oven on to 350 degrees F. In a bowl with an electric mixer mix 1 half pound of butter that has been softened. Gradually add one whole cup of confectioners' sugar. Continue by adding 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and combine well. Combine 2 cups of flour and one half of a teaspoon of baking soda in another bowl. Mix together and gradually add to egg mixture. Take a teaspoon and scoop out some dough rolling it into a 1 inch ball. Grease a cookie sheet and place balls at least 2 inches apart then using the tines of a fork press the cookie flat. Bake 6 minutes or until brown then take out of the oven and let the cookies harden up for about five minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. If you like you can shake a little granulated sugar on the surface before you put them in the oven. This recipe will make about five dozen round cookies.
The following recipe is one that you roll and can cut into shapes and decorate. In a large bowl sift one and one half cups flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder and one half teaspoon salt and set the bowl aside. In a mixing bowl cream 1 cup butter then gradually start to add one and one half cup granulated sugar. Beat until fluffy. Break two eggs in a small bowl and beat. Add these to the butter mixture along with one tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. Gradually add one and one half more cups of flour to the mixture. The dough should be smooth and not stiff so if it seems that there is enough flour and you have not added the whole one and a half cups do not worry. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in wax paper and place in the refrigerator for one hour. Roll out to about one fourth of an inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar or leave them plain to be frosted with colored icing later. Place on cookie sheets that have been sprayed with a nonstick spray and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes making sure the edges do not get too brown. Let them sit for a few minutes and transfer onto a cooling rack.
Make sugar cookies all times of the year instead of just during holidays. Make some for your friends and family and they will not last long.
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