Every Christmas since I was big enough-I’ve made Granny’s Christmas Sugar Cookies. Back in the day it was me and Paul making the cookies-and being silly. These days it’s me and my girls making the cookies-and there is still plenty of silliness going on too.
To make Granny’s recipe you need:
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel (I think this is what makes them so good!)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 4 teaspoons of milk
- 2 cups sifted plain flour (all purpose)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla. Add egg-beat till light and fluffy. Stir in milk. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling-we make colored sugar to decorate the cookies with-by mixing food coloring and sugar.
After the dough has chilled-roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch or whatever thickness you prefer. Cut in desired shapes-sprinkle with colored sugar and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 for about 6 to 8 minutes or till light brown.
Once the dough has chilled the girls start cutting out cookies and spreading sugar on them-and on most of the kitchen floor as well.
After I was married Granny gave me some of her handwritten recipes-my favorite thing about them are the notes she wrote to herself on them-like: “When cutting shapes press with colored sugar and make real pretty cookies.”
Every year our sugar cookie making project starts like a Christmas story book-you know lovely strains of music-artistic attempts to make every cookie prettier than the last one-sisterly harmony abounding.
But by the time we reach the end of the dough-the project has dissolved into silliness that results in sideburn shaped cookies-a few rock shaped ones-and a momma who wonders why she suggested making such a mess in the first place.
But after the mess is cleaned up and the cookies are shared-I’m always glad we took time to make Granny’s cookies.
Tipper
My late Mum and I made sugar cookies every year when I was small. I still make them but not every year because I don’t always have company to eat them. I still have all my cookie cutters from when I was small and enjoy using them
I did this with my four children and a daughter is carrying on the tradition with her children and nieces and nephews. Makes my heart happy!
Thanks Tipper for the recipe.. Sounds delicious.
Two cute cookies with cookie cutters cutting too cute cookies?
Hi tipper,We will be using you alls recipe,but in moms later years we would paint the frosting on christmas and easter cookies,so we will do that this year.God bless. Jean
We did this every Christmas up until about 3 yrs. ago. Started with our son standing on a chair to reach the table. Thanks for a sweet memory!!
Tipper someone mentioned the memories made in the kitchen and that is so true. Once when my daughter was about four year old and my wife was gone (that’s when us two usually got into mischief) she wanted a ginger bread man and like a nut I told her I knew how. Well, I finally looked in my wifes’cook books and we made it. I’ll never forget those little fat hands getting into everything. We put M&m’s for the eyes and she couldn’t wait and ate those first. You know, that guy was good and we put all the pans back and cleaned the kitchen before my wife got back. I think she suspected something but she never knew. I guess it was the lingering ginger smell. Oh if I could live those days again!!
Holidays are for making memories, because each year brings a different chapter, just as you remember the way it use to be, the girls will have the same one day, seems that it comes sooner than later… those cookies do look good,,,
Tipper,
Giving of your time and sharing
precious moments are the meaningful things in life. Just
as you can reflect on your life
with mama, those beautiful girls
are building their own memories.
But a “sideburn” cookie? …Ken
Nothing like having recipes handed down to share with others. We love all BP recipes and use them just about every day. Granny’s cookies are the best!
Looks like yummy fun and I will treasure the recipe! :))))) I adore sugar cookies. Ours were almond or lemon flavored. I really like the idea of the orange zest version. Having Granny’s handwritten recipes is a treasure all it’s own and you are so sweet to share so many of them with us. BTW A friend of mine made archival print-outs of her grandmother’s recipes for her daughter for a wedding gift using a Kodak printer that used dyes(?)instead of ink so they do not age or deteriorate and then put them into a beautiful archival notebook. I know, I know, that’s just what you need – another project! 😀
Tipper,
Morning Hot chocolate…
Green and red sugar crystals…
Dough…rolled out…
Cute cookie cutters…
Baking sheet…
Warm oven…
Aroma of baking goodness…
Cooling on rack…
Reminds me that it is,
Cloudy…
Cold…
White snow falling…
Small glass of milk…
One cookie…
Two cookies…
Three cookies…
Crumbs…
Drowsy…
Snuggled, curled up,
Asleep, in the corner of the sofa
‘til Christmas!
My Momma always done this with me and my brothers and usually a cousin or two threw in the mix and now I bake cookies with my kids. I, too sometimes wonder what was I thinking while their making the mess and I have to break up 3 or 4 fights, but I’m always glad we did in the end and its the first thing they mention doing when it gets close to Christmas. So its all worth it.
I just love this story. The recipe is very close to the one I used to make with my kids. They were the best sugar cookies ever. As a matter of fact, this story has made my mouth want some. Maybe I can get them by osmosis. I have the ingredients, so I might just have to break down. Wonderful memories!
Sure looks like they are having fun! I expected pictures of pretty girls with green teeth.
Sounds delicious! I am going to try them:) Thanks for the recipe!
Tipper: I wish I could stop by your place and pick up some of those ‘homemade’ cookies! Have a blessed Christmas!
Much good Cheer,
Eva Nell
Love the addition of orange zest. Will have to try these! I concur with the making of the sugar cookies…there is a point midway that I always wonder if this darned memory is one I want to make with my kids…grrrrr…in the end, I am always glad I did. 🙂
Nothing better than making memories plus having something yummy to share when thru. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you for sharing the fun and silliness with us! You are building beautiful memories even if the cookies are a bit oddly shaped and the kitchen is a bit sticky.
What a treasure to have Granny’s prized recipes set down in her own hand. It is wonderful to think of our grandchildren some day having the same kind of silly, loving fun baking the same recipes we love with their children.
Some of our happiest and most precious memories are made in the kitchen. The kitchen is where all of my guests gravitate to, regardless of how inviting we’ve tried to make the rest of the house. Making these cookies will be some of the most cherished memories for Chitter and Chatter when they are old and grey. Enjoy every moment—-every gritty foot step.
:)If the weather doen’t get bad, rather iffy right now, we are having a cookie exchange party this evening here.
Back when the girls were small, we had cookie baking with a lot of their friends present. Great memories!
Looks like fun! Thanks for sharing.
I love the colored sugar, going to try this.