Sugar Cookies~ A Family Favorite

 Sugar cookies, made with real butter, fresh eggs from my flock of chickens, real vanilla, & love.Nothing beats a good plain sugar cookie accompanied by a cup of good coffee, tea,  or tall glass of cold milk. If it happens to be around Christmas the cookie may be frosted and liberally adorned with various sugared sprinkles, but still the best cookie in my book.This recipe comes from the November 1983 edition of 'Country Home'. I have baked many different sugar cookie recipes and all have turned out deliciously yummy, but this recipe is the best.Every year with grandchildren I have made these cookies for Christmas festivities.Baking these cookies with them is now a Christmas tradition, but these cookies are good all year round.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg ( farm-fresh best )
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.Beat butter & shortening until they are combined, then add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well.Add dry ingredients; beat well.Divide dough in half; wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for about 3 hours or overnight. (Sometimes I leave this in the fridge for a week or more until I am ready to bake.)

Working with half of the dough at a time, on lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desored shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove to wire rack; cool. Frost & decorate if desired. Makes 36 to 48 cookies.
NOTE: Often I will simply form the dough into a roll , wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and place in the fridge. When I want fresh baked cookies I pull it out of the fridge and cut slices of the roll and bake.No rolling out on a floured board, no cookie cutters needed. Just fresh, hot, simple sugar cookies to go with my cup of good , hot coffee.

Grandpa Burnson's Berry Butternuts

This is David Burnson , Sr in his younger years. He created the berry butternut recipe that has become a well-loved and tasty family Christmas tradition. Now his son and daughters also make this for their Christmases too. To fully do this delicious cookie justice real butter and raspberry jam are a must! However the lactose intolerant in the family may substitute a dairy free margarine. You will need:

• 1 lb. of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 4 to 5 cups flour
• 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
• raspberry jam
  

Cream together butter, sugar, and salt. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add 4 cups of flour, mixing in one cup at a time, then add as much of the 5th cup until the dough can be rolled into a ball without sticking.


Take a small fist sized ball of dough and roll it into a 1 inch thick log and then roll that into the chopped walnuts coating the dough. It should be about 3/4 inch thick now.

Cut into 3/4 inch pieces and place onto a baking sheet 1 inch apart.

Using the unsharpend end of a pencil, make an indentation in the center of the cookie about 1/2 inch deep and fill with jam.

Bake the cookies in a 325 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

After cooling the cookies , store them in airtight containers. Just like short breads the taste of these cookies improves after a couple of days. Enjoy !