Aunt Lisls Butter Cookies Recipes

AUNT EILEEN'S CHRISTMAS BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using a hand beater. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Roll the dough into a log, on a work surface, wrap in parchment and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Put 2 cookie sheets in the refrigerator to chill as well.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Arrange 2 inches apart on the chilled cookie sheets and bake until lightly golden on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the cookie sheets and put on a cooling rack to cool before serving.

AUNT LISL'S BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Child: In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Then mix in the eggs, brandy, salt, vanilla, and flour. Let rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Adult with Child: Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Child: You can either use cookie cutters or use the point of a toothpick like a knife to cut out cookies in any shapes you want. Let your imagination run free; how about dreidels, Stars of David, candles with flames attached, the four Hebrew letters on the dreidel?
• Once you have cut out the cookies, gently place them on the baking sheet. Then either brush them with egg yolk and sprinkle with nuts and raisins or brush with egg white and sprinkle with blue sugar.
• Adult: Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Use a metal spatula to gently remove each cookie from the baking sheet to a cooling rack or flat plate.

AUNT SALLY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup white sugar and shortening until smooth. Stir in the egg yolks and molasses. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger; stir into the molasses mixture alternately with the sour milk. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rectangular shapes (I like to use a Spam can). Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.
• To make the frosting, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, vinegar, water and marshmallows. Mix well and place over a pot of simmering water. when the marshmallows have melted, stir in the egg whites. Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer for 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Frost cooled cookies.

BEST BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Divide dough into four 1-1/2 cup portions; mix and shape for each variety as follows. Yield: 4 portions (1-1/2 cups each)., To prepare Cutouts: Using one portion dough, divide into two balls; roll each ball directly on an ungreased baking sheet to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured cookie cutter, leaving at least 1 in. between cookies. Remove excess dough and reroll scraps if desired. Decorate with sprinkles, jimmies or colored sugar if desired. Bake at 375° for 6-7 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen., To prepare Peppermint Balls: In a large bowl, combine one portion dough, peppermint candies and peppermint extract. Shape into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with red colored sugar if desired. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen., To prepare Spicy Fruit Balls: In a large bowl, combine one portion dough, currants, fruit and cinnamon. Shape into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute then roll in confectioners' sugar if desired. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen., To prepare Chocolate Slices: In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. In a small bowl, mix melted chocolate into one portion cookie dough. Shape into a 1-1/2-in.-thick log; roll in nuts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Unwrap and cut into 1/8-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks.

AUNT NELDA'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Measure 3/4 cup sugar into a large bowl.
• Add oil and stir until well blended.
• Break eggs into small bowl and beat well with egg beater.
• Stir, with vanilla flavoring, into shortening mixture.
• Measure sifted flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt into a flour sifter; sift into a medium bowl.
• Gradually add flour mixture to shortening mixture, beating with a spoon after each addition.
• Chill bowl of cookie dough overnight, or until dough can be easily handled.
• Drop dough by FULL teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets.
• Sprinkle with granulated sugar (Omit sugar if cookies will be frosted).
• Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.
• Bake in 350 degree F oven 10-12 minutes or until done.
• Remove from oven and with broad spatula and slide at once onto rack to cool.
• NOTE: For cut-out cookies, roll to 1/8” thickness on lightly-floured board.
• Cookies will be harder than the drop cookies--use flour sparingly.
• This dough may also be rolled, chilled, and sliced like refrigerator cookies.

AUNT ANNE'S SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and anise extract until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well incorporated. If you are using a stand mixer, let the dough mix for another minute to add lightness to the dough. The dough will be soft, but will hand roll easily.
• Pinch off pieces of dough slightly smaller than a walnut, and roll them into small logs. Dip in milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place cookies one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Cookies will not spread very much.
• Bake for 17 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bottom and sides of cookies are lightly toasted. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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.