I never met a cookie I didn’t like. Tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones. I love ’em all.
Perhaps it’s because of my pleasant childhood memories associated with after-school cookies and milk. It could also be that cookies were the first thing I ever learned to make all by myself. I remember that I felt so accomplished, so trusted, that my mom would allow me full reign in her kitchen.
Snickerdoodles were my first favorite, and I made them all the time for my brothers and me.
But I never learned to make the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies recipe until I was all grown up with cookie-loving kids of my own.
Cookies at a Cooking Class
The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies recipe comes from a cooking class I attended years ago when we lived in Muleshoe. Back in the day, they were called demonstrations, and it was a social highlight for the ladies in our small town.
The big electric company in Amarillo employed a task force of several women whose job it was to travel a 3-state territory showing women how to use the latest, greatest appliances powered by electricity. These ladies were called home economists, and when they came to our little town, it was a very big deal.
Phones rang all over the place, checking to see who was going and who needed a ride. These were occasions we couldn’t afford to miss, and we sure didn’t want our friends to miss out.
Finally, the anticipated night would arrive, and we would all be situated in our folding metal chairs. Soon, those hot electric skillets started sizzling and the mixers started mixing. Poor thing really had to hustle to get a full menu cooked and served in two hours’ time.
But everything was always delicious, and all across the room, women could be heard declaring their intentions to “try this at home.”
One night, the demonstration finished with a sweet sample of the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies I had ever tasted in all my born days.
Cookies That Set the Standard
These cookies are really delicious. They’re the kind of cookies that set the standard for all others in the same category. Reviews are always rave.
My MIL always used the phrase “out of this world” when something was super-duper-yummy. That’s what these cookies are.
Out of this world.
Maybe I can get NASA to send up a batch on the first manned mission to Mars.
I can see it now. “Thanks to cookie-lover, Brenda McDearmon, for sending us into space with a batch of these Best Rolled Sugar Cookies ever. They are literally out of this world!”
Cookies That Become a Tradition
When you find a recipe that the whole family loves, that recipe can easily become a tradition. A favorite. A memory-maker. That’s what the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies are for our family.
We bake them mostly at Christmas and Valentine’s Day, icing them in shades of red or pink.
My middle daughter takes after me when it comes to cookie-love. However, I’ve learned a lot from her about making them extra-pretty.
She likes to peruse Pinterest and then tell me how we’re going to “do” our cookies next time we bake them together.
Cookies With a Secret Ingredient
There’s a secret ingredient in this recipe for the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies. I’ve not yet known anyone to guess what it is when they’re munching, but their remarks clearly confirm that they’re wondering.
These cookies are so soft, they say. Or, these cookies have such rich flavor, they might declare.
It’s that secret ingredient that makes this cookie recipe so delightfully different. Do you already know what it might be?
Cookies That Make Sweet Memories
Are there certain foods that spark sweet memories for you? My Mamaw made homemade noodles for our Sunday dinners. Goodness, they were so amazing.
And when I smell a roast in the oven, I can’t help but be transported in my mind to the kitchen of my other grandmother who lived in Elk City, Oklahoma. Her Sunday roast was incredible.
I hope my Best Rolled Sugar Cookies do the same thing for my family. I hope they are a symbol of love, a litte taste of heaven, and a reminder of warm and cozy times.
Cookies With Definite Strong Points
Here’s what I love about this recipe for the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies. These are the strong points that keep me coming back to this page in my cookbook.
- The dough is made ahead of time. I love this, because making cookies like this can be an all-day process. I like being able to split it up.
- The dough freezes well. If you’re headed to see the grandkids soon, you can make a batch of the dough, stick it in the freezer, and then be the best grandma ever when you show up ready to bake.
- The texture. These cookies are soft, but they’re not cake-y. There’s the slightest hint of crisp on the bottom, and a delicate layering in the middle.
- They’re consistent. These cookies come out the same every time you bake them.
- They’re flavorful. Some sugar cookies have a bland flavor to balance the heavy sweetness of icing. That secret ingredient, plus the teaspoon of flavoring in these cookies gives them a beautiful flavor that goes with the icing instead of being overpowered by it.
- They’re pretty. If you’re a creative baker, you can really make the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies into little works of art.
The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies
Is your mouth watering? Are you already checking the pantry for staples? Great, because the recipe appears just below.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 cups flour
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and sour cream into which soda has been dissolved. Add lemon extract and beat well.
Blend in baking powder and flour. Chill overnight. Roll 1/4-inch thick on floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet (or lined with parchment paper) and bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes or until just golden at the edge. Ice with your favorite powdered sugar version or try this one from the web.
Note: It’s the sour cream in this recipe that keeps the cookies from becoming hard and stale. That’s the secret ingredient!
Cookies That Go With Milk
Can you believe how easy the recipe is for the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies? It’s really the rolling and decorating that takes time and effort. But it is so worth it.
Be sure you have milk in the fridge, because these are cookies that go with milk, my friends.
Cookies That Make You Thankful
Those home ecomonists worked hard to lug all those electric contraptions and containers around a territory the size of Rhode Island. And I’m so thankful that they did.
Not only did I go away with the Best Rolled Sugar Cookies recipe, I enjoyed some special evenings with joyous friends.
Have you ever attended a cooking demonstration with friends? Or perhaps a full-fledged class at Sur la Table?
I’d love to hear about it.
Encouraging a life filled with everyday intentional adventure and a cookie made with love,
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