Soft Sugar Cookies

Yield: varies, but about 5-6 dozen

Source: My mother has been making this recipe for years. I have no idea where she got it. It is the only sugar cookie I have ever known.

I hope you don't think less of me if I tell you that this cookie I make is amazing. It is delectable. It is soft, and sweet, and creamy, and wonderful. You know those giant sugar cookies with the pink icing that sit near the counter at the gas station? This is just like that. Only, possibly better. I have had numerous people ask me for the recipe, and one friend has told me at least a dozen times how wonderful this cookie is.

Having said all of that, I will, however parenthetically, list the cons. These are kind of a pain in the butt to make. I basically only make them at Christmas, because that is the only time I have the patience for it. Plus, if I'm going to bother to make them at all, I generally go all out and double the already large recipe. It's time-consuming and tiresome, but we have sugar cookies coming out the wazoo. No one complains.

So here it is:

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream (the true genius of this cookie is in the sour cream)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

There is no magic to the recipe, just mix the ingredients in order. However, I will tell you that when I double it, it tests the limits of my Kitchen Aid mixer. I have to hold my hands around the edges to keep all that flour in. You absolutely cannot skimp on the flour. You will need even more of it for the next phase of the cookie making.

Once the ingredients are all mixed together, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, or, if you are lazy like I am, just throw it all in a large ziploc bag and close it up. Put it in the fridge for several hours. I prefer to make the dough in the evening, and let it chill overnight before rolling out.

Here's a picture of my dough, but keep in mind that this is a double batch.

So, after it sits in the fridge for several hours, it is time to roll it out. Be sure to flour your counter or rolling surface well before you begin. For good measure, I like to flour the rolling pin and the cookie cutters. And my hands, if the truth be told. If the dough gets on my fingers, then I just have to lick it off, and then I have to wash my hands again. It gets old.

This might be a good time to mention something to all the raw-cookie-dough lovers out there. This is quite possible the best dough ever for eating plain. I suggest eating a good meal before you start rolling these out, or you may have trouble controlling yourself.

So, grab a big glob of dough (technical term) and drop it on the floured surface. Start rolling from the center toward the edges. This is the most critical stage of the process. Sugar cookie success depends upon the rolling. This cannot be overstated. Be sure you do not roll it too thin. This cookie loses it's soft and creamy quality if it is too thin. It bakes into something crunchy and hard, something that requires dunking in coffee to enjoy. This is not what we are going for.

As you can see from the picture, it is about 1/4" thickness, perhaps just a touch thicker. This will seem pretty heavy for a cookie, but trust me. It is the key.

Now you use your cookie cutter to make cute shapes, lay them gently on the sheet pan, and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. DO NOT OVERBAKE these. If it looks like this pan full of cookies here, all soft and puffy, you are getting it right. If the edges are turning brown like this picture of the 2 candy canes, you have let it go too long. Avoid letting them turn brown. It is death to the soft sugar cookie.

Once they are baked, the next step is the frosting. Let me here interject a word or two about storing these cookies. Once they are cooled, it is best not to let them sit out for more than a couple hours. They will dry out and lose their identity. If you are not going to frost them right away, put them in an airtight container, or the ever-useful ziploc bag until you are ready. This will keep them soft and wonderful for a few days.

On with the frosting recipe:

4 oz. cream cheese

2 T butter

2 T milk

powdered sugar (I don't really have an amount... but plan on 2 cups or so)

1-2 drops food coloring, if desired

So, some tips to great frosting. First, make sure the cream cheese and butter are soft. I like to just put them on top of the stove while the cookies are baking, but you can use the microwave, or leave them out overnight. Start by creaming the cream cheese and butter together with the hand mixer. Then add the milk. Then start adding in powdered sugar a bit at a time. The reason for this is so you can get the consistency right. Just keep adding sugar until it's as thick as you like it. Personally, I think it needs to be pretty thick to stay on the cookie without making a mess, but if it is too thick, the sprinkles have a hard time sticking. Once it is all made, you can add a drop or two of food coloring, if you want.

Also, if you are not a big cream cheese fan, you can leave it out, double the butter and make your frosting that way. Just know that I will have lost all respect for you.

For my batch, I chose to do some with white frosting. I used wax paper to cut out a candy cane shape with stripes, and then placed it over the frosted cookie. I spread red and green sprinkles over the wax paper, then carefully pulled it away, leaving a cute striped cane look. I was pretty proud of myself. I am normally not quite that cutesy.

Cute, right? I also did some in pink and green, just to be festive.

Storing the cookies after frosting is similar to before. You should leave them out for an hour or so, to let the frosting dry and harden a little. This way they won't stick together when you stack them. Put them in some kind of plastic container with a good lid, with wax paper between layers. They will stay good for several days. They also freeze very well. They are great cold, but if you let them come back to room temperature, they return to their soft and creamy glory. Delicious.

Yield? With my double batch, I almost got 12 dozen candy canes. This will, as you might suspect, vary widely, depending on dough thickness, size of cookie cutter, and of course, how much raw dough you eat. I personally like when the cookies break, because it makes them completely unsuitable for sharing with others. Anyhoo... I'm calling it about 5.5 dozen of the cookie I'm sure they are eating in heaven.

Chocolate Crinkles

Source: An old cookie cookbook that belongs to my mother-in-law.

I have searched for years for a good chocolate crinkle recipe. The recipe I had, which I got from who knows where, was just terrible. This year, my mother-in-law confessed that she had the same problem. She pulled out this book, from which she used to make cookies years ago, and we decided to both make a batch of chocolate crinkles. She even donated the chocolate squares to my cause! And, finally, the recipe lived up to the promise! These cookies are everything I remembered them to be; slightly crunchy on the outside, but still soft and chewy with a great chocolate flavor. (I wonder if it is because it calls for oil instead of shortening.) This is a fabulous everyday cookie.

YIELD: 6 dozen cookies

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, and blend into oil mixture. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or ziploc bag, and chill several hours or overnight. (I'm convinced that chilling the dough is a critical step.)

The next step says to shape the dough into small balls and roll them in powdered sugar. I tried to keep the dough from sticking to my hands by covering my hands with powdered sugar first. This effort failed miserably. The dough sticks, there is just no way around it. I recommend working on this step while you are near a sink! It is just so disappointing to see all that yummy dough go down the drain!

Place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350, 10-12 minutes. (As always, do not overbake!)

Giant Ginger Cookies

Source: I got this recipe from my mother, who got it from a friend she works with. I'm really not sure where it originated. It is a newer recipe to our family, but an instant classic. It was immediately added to our family recipe collection and will be made every Christmas for the rest of our lives!

YIELD: 25 four-inch cookies

4 1/2 cups flour

4 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar

- In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

- Beat shortening until softened. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.

- Add eggs and molasses, and beat well.

- Add flour mixture and beat until well combined.

- Use a 1/4 cup (4 T ) scoop, shape into 2 balls. Roll in coarse or granulated sugar. (I don't actually have a scoop, but these really are better if you make them big! I roll them in raw sugar. It is a similar color to the cookie, and gives a nice texture and extra sugary kick to the cookie.)

- Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. (If you overbake these, they will get crunchy. They are meant to be soft and chewy.)