Sugar Cookies – blast from the past

My pops is in the hospital/nursing home and is having trouble holding things. So i was trying to think of a large cookie that could celebrate halloween…  So i went through my giant book of cookie recipes. My normal has a frosting that is just meh, so i wanted something better…

Came across the generic sugar cookie. And wow, with crisco do these things get big! And at first i tried just putting the “colored sugar” on top hoping it would melt… nope. Then i put it on the dough and rolled it in…  Then i finally put all the rest of the sugar into the dough and needed it, creating an orange dough, taking me back to child hood when my mom would do this! I think it was a ploy to keep sugar from getting all over her floor!

Orange sugar

Orange sugar

Cut Out Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter flavor crisco
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbl vanilla
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation

  1. Combine sugar and 1 cup shortening in a mixer. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla. Beat until well blended and fluffy
  2. Combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to shortening mixture at low speed. Mix until well blended.
  3. Divide dough into 4 quarters. Wrap each quarter of the dough with plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
  4. Heat oven to 375. Place sheets of foil on counter for cooking cookies
  5. Updated plan – make colored sugar – 1/2 cup and 6 drops made a light color. Add 1/4 of that sugar to the dough. Roll out as described below. This keeps the sugar from falling off…
  6. Spread 1 tbl flour on sheet of way paper. Place 1 peice of dough on floured paper. Flatten slightly with hands. Turn dough over and cover with another sheet. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick.Remove top layer and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookies sheet (or silpat). Repeat with remaining dough.
  7. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 for 5-9 minutes. 9 minutes for halloween cuts outs 3 inches or so. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to foil and cool completely.
  8. Frost or decorate if so desiredIMG_0345These cookies were attempt 1 with sugar on top…