Cookie Factory

Hello, Sweet Friends. It's been a cookie factory around here! Last weekend I baked one of my favorite cookies-- sugar cookies!! I never was able to get my fix at Christmas, so with Valentine's Day around the corner, I figured I could break out the rolling pin, and have at it.

Yeah... and it's an excuse to break out the sprinkles too. I love these jimmies-- don't the colors just make you happy? Color in the winter makes me happy. Making things in the winter makes me happy too, so this was the perfect combination of happy.

This recipe has been in the family ever since my sister-in-law, Monica, joined the family and shared it with the rest of us. I'm so glad she joined the family. The girl can bake, and these are the best sugar cookies ever. They are rolled out thick and they're really cake-ety. (Yes, that's a real word. At least among my friends, it is. It's usually used in a sentence as in "Mmmm... I love chocolatey cake-ety".)
I don't usually do tutorials or recipes on my blog, but I know that you are going to ask for this fabulous recipe. Therefore, I will share it with you. Yes, I will take the time to type a recipe out. I guess it is less tedious than having to write it out, so I won't complain. Here it is:

Yummy Cake-ety Sugar Cookies

(This recipe is easy to roll out and makes wonderful Valentine and Christmas cookies!)

1 Cup Shortening*

2 Cups Sugar

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 5 cups flour

* In some countries shortening is called "white vegetable fat", in case the word "shortening" sounds foreign to you. Yes, it's that ingredient that I try to avoid thinking about when I'm eating one of these yummy cookies! (Thanks Susan, for asking! I wondered if anything in the recipe would be "lost in translation" for my friends abroad!)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients. Refrigerate for about one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut in desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Bake on ungreased baking sheet. (I bake them on parchment paper.) Let cookies cool, then frost and decorate!

These are a fun cookie to decorate~ the possibilities are limitless! I made this batch of cookies to bring to Lisa's Creativi-Tea, so I decided to back stitch them! Yes, those are jimmies. No, it was not as tedious as it looks, but I would only go to the trouble for something special. It helps to have a friend come over and help. Beverages help. My friend Kathy and I often get together on Friday nights for an "Artist Date". We try to do something or go somewhere creatively inspiring to kick-off the weekend. Sometimes we go to an art gallery. Sometimes we play with clay. Sometimes we go vintage shopping. Sometimes we get pedicures. We try to go to restaurants we haven't been to-- or sometimes we just "picnic". We love our "picnics". Our picnics are simple and usually consist of yummy cheeses, fruit, olives, a good crusty bread, and beverages. Our picnics involve no cooking, and we can get right to playing.

Since I made part of this batch as a hostess gift for Lisa (and Sean, her hubby who loves sugar cookies), I made a little tag for the container. I made a "belly wrap" for the container using shelf liner that I bought to line my dresser drawers and shelves. It worked out great because I could just slice a strip to the length I needed. Then I just used a simple di-cut, and some of my Cath Kidston labels to embellish. Viola! Ready to gift.

I also used part of the batch of cookies to give to my sweet next door neighbors to thank them for helping me out when I locked myself out of the house. I used my special valentine sprinkles for these. Damn, I love sprinkles. Lovelovelove them!

Well, I hope this post wasn't too long and rambly. (Yes, that is a real word-- in my vocabulary!). I'm trying to be better this year about posting about projects and the crafty shenanigans that I've been up to. I hope that you can try out this cookie recipe sometime, and enjoy it's yummy, cake-ety goodness for yourself!
Hugs,