Thursday, December 10, 2015

It's Different Living Up On a Mountain

 

My sister-in-law has the most fantastic sugar cookie recipe that we have nicknamed "Cugar Shookies" (because my mom kept mispronouncing it one particular day). We originally posted it here. However, I live up on a mountain and whenever I make these cookies, they come out of the oven fluffy and puffy...and then they deflate. Darn altitude!

This recipe, on the other hand, works up here on my mountain. It is also a fantastic sugar cookie recipe which was originally shared on the same post as the Cugar Shookies. I'm sharing it again here because it is officially the only kind of cookies I have made this Christmas. I'm trying to lose my baby weight and having all sorts of Christmas cookies lying around won't help me in that endeavor.

Besides, we've had a lot of holiday fun this Christmas just decorating these sugar cookies with all sorts of fun sprinkles and candies. This recipe makes a LOT of cookies, so you will have plenty for your own family as well as plenty to give to others.


Karrie's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
2 cups butter or margarine, softened
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (or almond flavoring)
1 pinch salt
7 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixed with baking powder and salt. Roll out the sugar cookie dough and cut out cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake (in fact, you don't even want these cookies to start to brown).

Source: My Mom's friend, Karrie. When we got the recipe from her, she called them "John's Sugar Cookies." I don't know who John is, but he knows how to make a good sugar cookie.

Notes: Who doesn't love sugar cookies? These are awesome.


Sugar Cookie Frosting

Ingredients:

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or you can substitute almond extract)
Food coloring, optional

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring, if desired.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Kathy Brandt. You can find it here 

Notes: I like my frosting to be creamy, smooth, and easily spreadable, so depending on the consistency, I sometimes add a little more than 5 tablespoons milk. I start with 5 tablespoons and add additional milk, if necessary, a tablespoon at a time until I reach the consistency I want. This is my go-to sugar cookie frosting recipe. It's perfect.

1 comment: