Thursday, February 12, 2009

A Perfect Holiday Cookie


Since I was a very little girl, I remember these cut-out cookies as part of our holiday traditions.



My mom would make dozens upon dozens of them at Christmastime, but she also made small batches for other holidays throughout the year. I didn't do much Christmas baking this past year (first trimester and all), but I've been a busy bee in the kitchen again lately!

These cookies go back at LEAST to my mom's mom. We believe they probably go further back than that. These are similar to sugar cookies, but a bit softer and with a little richer flavor, thanks to the sour cream. There are very few ingredients and there's nothing very difficult about them. But, oh, are they yummy... and so much fun to enjoy with the entire family!


Sour Cream Cookies


  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup margarine (I follow the recipe and use margarine here, but I imagine butter would be fine too!)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • approximately 6 cups flour (you'll use more during the rolling and cutting phase)

Mix all ingredients. Chill dough (it's best to chill for at least a few hours- otherwise it's pretty sticky).



Roll on floured surface to about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies and re-roll dough, as necessary.



Bake on ungreased cookie sheets in 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on size of cookie. Makes about 10 dozen. (This is a BIG batch of cookies! I made a half-batch for our family of four and still had plenty to share at a family gathering.)

I like to put a clean towel on my kitchen table and cool the cookies there.



Once the cookies are completely cool, you can frost and decorate them! I make a very simple icing out of powdered sugar, a few drops of vanilla, and a splash of milk (sorry for the lack of measurements!) and I tinted half of it pink for these Valentine's Day cookies. Some red sugars and heart-shaped sprinkles finished off the decorating and gave the kids something to do as I frosted away.

The result?



Over five dozen truly delicious, completely homemade cookies. To buy that many frosted holiday cookies at the grocery store would have cost me close to $20. I'm not even kidding you. The cost of these? Less than three bucks. And these were better, if you ask me... I mean, c'mon... they're Grandma's cookies!

Grandma's Sour Cream Cookies... definitely a Finer Valentine's Thing in Life! For more Finer Valentine's Things, visit Amy's Finer Things Friday! Her special edition this week is the conclusion of our week-long Valentine's Exchange of Inspiration and Ideas.

For more ways to save some dough (get it? ;)), visit Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood!

6 comments:

Kate said...

Okay, those have got to be some of the prettiest homemade cookies I've ever seen! Making cookies with the kids was already on my to-do list for tomorrow. I am definitely using this recipe!!

Anonymous said...

Oh yum! I think we'll make these Saturday because Daddy will be gone and he won't be able to fight for chocolate!

Um, mine won't be as pretty as yours though!

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

Ooooh! Those sound delish and look beautiful!!

Phoebe @ GettingFreedom said...

Oh man do those sound good! I really should make them since are having loads of company this weekend. But, I don't think mine will near as pretty! :)

Thank you for sharing.

JessieLeigh said...

You ladies are all very sweet! TRUST me, though, yours will look just as nice. That icing dries very smooth and it "sets up" enough that you can layer or stack the cookies without creating a smudge-y mess. You will want to put the sprinkles on pretty much right after frosting them, though. That's why an assembly line with little helpers proves mighty useful! :)

Ryann said...

I'd love to make these with Addy. I wonder how Nick will feel having all these cookies laying around since he's doing so well on Weight Watchers right now...