Gramma's Sugar Cookies!

First a note..for any who were up at 2AM, the chance to view a rare full lunar eclipse put on quite the show! I was out and tried to get pictures but for some reason the camera would not focus correctly...not good. Anyway..I stood out in the chilly night air until the shivering took over and commonsense told me to hurry back in to warmth.

This evening the old house on the Bayou was in its full glory! Lights were shining from the eaves, the tree stood decorated and the aroma of cookies wafted from the kitchen. Life doesn't get much better! My daughter loves to bake..I love to eat the goodies that she bakes. This sort of balances things out, I do believe! This evening she baked some great oatmeal/white chocolate cookies and a Christmas tradition..Gramma's Sugar Cookies. These are actually Vanilla Rolled Cookies from the old "Woman's Home Companion Cook Book" This old, worn cook book was my mother's and was passed to me and eventually will make its way to my daughter. It is one of those good oldtime cook books that no matter which recipe you make, it always turns out well. I have never "not" liked anything I made from this book. The pages are tattered and my mother's favorites are well worn and well..almost grubby. She wrote notations in the margins and glued things in the back but the book is loved and the recipes are delicious.

The Sugar Cookies became a tradition in the family years ago. My mother always mixed up several batches, rolled them out and let the kids of the family cut them out with the old metal cookie cutters. Colored sugar would be sprinkled on each cookie to decorate it. So good!

Gramma's Sugar Cookies..AKA Vanilla Rolled Cookies

3 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs (well beaten)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift flour; measure; add baking powder and salt; sift again.

Cream shortening; add sugar gradually and continue to beat until light. Add well-beaten eggs and blend thoroughly; add vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients and the creamed mixture; mix all thoroughly and chill.

Roll as thin as possible on a lightly floured board and cut with cookie cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugar and bake in a hot oven (400 degrees F) for 6 to 10 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen thin cookies.

Colored Sugar..to two tablespoons of granulated sugar add a few drops of food dye and stir until evenly distributed.

These sugar cookies are so nice and crispy that they are sure to become a favorite and perhaps can become a tradition in your family. It is more about the sharing of time and love than the actually cookie but having a delicious treat always makes a tradition more fun! My grown kids still talk about the times that their gramma would let them bake. The fun spilled over to the old house on the Bayou and hopefully continue to be a moment shared within the family. And hey..rolling pins and cookie cutters are fun!