Aunt Donnas Sugar Cookies Recipes

AUNT EDNA'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening together.
• Add salt and eggs and mix well.
• Add vanilla and mix well.
• Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and sour cream and mix well.
• Roll the dough out to 1/4" to 3/8" thick, and cut cookies out in whatever shape you wish. Transfer cookies to a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle with sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

AUNT MARY'S OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then the lemon juice.
• In another bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Gather dough into a ball, divide in half and pat into two disks. Chill for an hour or overnight.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes. Transfer cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. (Watch closely, you don't want them to get too brown.)
• Cool and paint with tinted icing and decorative sprinkles.

AUNT ANNIE'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together.
• In a large bowl, fully cream margarine and sugar together.
• Add soured milk alternately with the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.
• Form dough into a ball, wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• Cut the dough into quarters and roll out one quarter at a time (it rolls and cuts the best if it is chilled, so keep the remaining sections in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them).
• I use a pastry mat to cut my dough out on. I have never had a problem with the dough being sticky, but you can lightly flour your work surface, if necessary (beware that it might change the flavor a bit if you over flour).
• Transfer the cut out cookies to an ungreased baking sheet. I like to sprinkle a little sugar on the tops of them before baking. My children like to put sprinkles on top first. Or, you can leave them plain and put icing on afterwards. We have too big a sweet tooth here to eat them plain.
• Bake in a 350°F oven for 7-9 minutes. Do not brown!
• Enjoy!

CLASSIC AUNT SALLY (OR SALLY ANN) COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar, add molasses and eggs and buttermilk.
• Mix dry ingredients thoroughly, then add to creamed mixture.
• Refrigerate for an hour or so, until slightly firm.
• Roll out at about 1/4" (thicker for more cakelike cookies, thinner for crispier ones - they're good both ways).
• Cut out (traditionally with a SPAM can, but to each her own).
• Bake at 325 for about 12-15 minutes.
• When cookies are cool, whip up the icing.
• In saucepan, dissolve gelatin in cold water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• While simmering, add 3 C powdered sugar to a large straight-sided bowl and measure in soda. Stir.
• Pour hot liquid into sugar mixture and whisk. Add vanilla. Lumps are not good.
• If 3 C of powdered sugar is enough to produce a almost-set pudding-like icing, it is read. If it seems thin, add another cup and whisk inches.
• Take cooled cookies and dip the tops into the icing, wiping off excess on side of bowl.
• Set on wax paper until icing is hard.