Baking Cookies

For the past several days I’ve tried to bake cookies and every day something comes up that interferes.  We were completely out of anything sweet in this house and John can’t stand it without sweets to nibble on.

With bad weather in the forecast, cookies may come in handy as a comfort food and we’ll need all the help we can muster to get through it.  We are both cold natured of late and I dread what’s ahead.

The sugar cookie recipe came from a friend and neighbor many years ago and she said you don’t have to sift — just fling it all in and go.  The picture of ingredients does not show them all.  I buy confectioner’s sugar in a large plastic bag and store it in a canister.  Then about the oil, I pour using oil in a milk carton because it has a handle which makes it easier to pick up.  I didn’t think those two things were worthy of photographing.  And another thing, I use parchment paper — it makes clean up easier.  Remember I told you my oven doesn’t get as hot as I think it should and when the recipe calls for 350 I use 400.  You know your oven better than anybody — you decide which to use.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar                                   5 cups plain flour
1 cup confectioner’s sugar         1 cup oil
1 cup margarine (2 sticks)
2 eggs                                        1 tsp Cream of  Tartar
1 tsp soda                                       1 tsp. vanilla

I mix mine in the usual way and the dough will be really thick. Roll the dough out in balls and then mash with a fork.  Flour your  hands often as the balls are made — then dip the fork in flour often as ball are mashed.  This recipe makes about 12 dozen — depending on what size you make the balls.  (It seems as time goes on and one becomes tired, the balls get larger LOL).  Bake at 350 degrees until slightly brown at the edge.

They keep well, they share well and they make for some of the best of country living.