~Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies~

Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies
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It's the time of year to add unsalted Butter and Sour Cream to your grocery list!  You just might think that these ingredients are some of the ones used to make a special dessert.  You are correct and it is special!  The dessert is Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies!

Imagine holding a pretty cut out sugar cookie and then taking a bite of it.  The taste of Nutmeg pops out while you are chewing this cookie.  It's delicious!  Now, imagine that you will be baking a batch of these wonderful light yummy cookies and enjoying them with your family and friends during the holidays.       

These cookies are made in 2 steps! 

Day 1- Prepare the dough and refrigerate it.

Day 2- Take out your rolling pin, rolling mat, cookie cutters, colored sugars for decorating and remove the dough from your fridge.

On Day 2 the fun will begin deciding which cookie cutter to use first.  The aroma in your kitchen will be so good while these cookies are baking!  A "taste test" always takes place when I bake these treats!

Rolling out the dough!
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An added plus to baking these cookies before the holidays is that they freeze very well!  When you plan on serving them, take the cookies out of the freezer to defrost and enjoy.

Bake a batch of Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies! Click here for my recipe! 

Just remember to add unsalted Butter and Sour Cream to your grocery list!  Add decorative colored sugars and Nutmeg, too, if you do not have these ingredients.  These cookies are so delicious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

~Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies~

Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies
(File Photo)

Imagine biting into a soft sugar cookie that's decorated with colorful sprinkles and you taste a hint of nutmeg.  The nutmeg is not overpowering, it's just a hint. The cookie could be in the shape of a star, a reindeer, a tree, a wreath, a snowman or some other shape.  It's so yummy you want to take another bite, so you do!  If  I've offered it to you, it's a Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookie!  This is the time of year when I bake a batch of these delicious cookies during the beginning of December. 

These yummy cookies freeze very well!  Later in the month it's great to reach into the freezer and take out the needed amount to defrost.

They are made in 2 steps.  On Day 1 you prepare the dough and refrigerate it overnight.  On Day 2 take out your rolling pin, rolling mat, cookie cutters and colorful sprinkles.  Cookies will be baked! 

Rolling out the cookies!
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 After these Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies are baked there is always "taste testing" going on!  At least that is the reason given for enjoying 2 or 3 of them while they are still slightly warm.  Who can resist a freshly baked slightly warm homemade cookie??  Click here for the recipe for these yummy cookies!  

Add Sour Cream to your grocery list this week.  Ground Nutmeg and colored sprinkles also if you do not have any.  You will be on your way to bake a batch of the Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies!  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

         

Best Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Best Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Just one bite and you will be hooked!  After a taste of this Best Sour Cream Sugar Cookie you will take another bite and savor the flavor, again.  It's a hint of Nutmeg!  Sour Cream is another ingredient, here.  These Sugar Cookies are just the best that I've ever tasted (and baked)!  Baking a batch before Christmas is now a tradition of mine.  The  cookies also freeze well, so many of the baked cookies are cooled and packed in freezer bags- just ready for Christmas. 

It's a 2 step process!

On Day 1 a batch of the dough is prepared and refrigerated overnight.
The next day I find my rolling pin, rolling mat, favorite cookie cutters and colorful sprinkles.  Definitely my cookie pans and cooling racks, too.  Before I know it, my kitchen has the great aroma of Best Sour Cream Sugar Cookies.

After the first pan of baked cookies have come out of the oven and have cooled on the cooling rack, of course there is the "taste test"!  Oh, yum!!!  It's hard to refrain from "testing" another.

Baking these yummy cookies was my project this afternoon.  There sure was the required "taste test" going on!  My yellowish cookie canister was filling up.  Tomorrow, I'll place most of them in freezer bags to defrost next week.  Best Sour Cream Sugar Cookies is a family favorite cookie and enjoying them is one of our Christmas traditions.

You probably already have Nutmeg in your spice rack.  Purchase a container of Sour Cream this weekend.  This will be a great recipe to take out and use!

The recipe:  Best Sour Cream Sugar Cookies      

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  

~Best Ever Sour Cream Sugar Cookies~

Best Ever Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
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Today I made the batter for my traditional Christmas Cookies!  They are just so good.  For years I've baked these cookies.  Well, the years all add up to over 40 years, now.  The dough contains a hint of nutmeg and also sour cream.  As I write this, the double wrapped cookie batter is in the fridge.

These cookies are not only "just the best", they are an easy 2 day process.  On Day 1 the dough is prepared and refrigerated.  Then, on Day 2 a rolling pin, mat and cookie cutters are given a workout.  On baking day find your colored sugars for decorating.

Rolling out the dough!
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***I always use unsalted Butter when preparing the dough.  The dough is much easier to roll out when using Butter.        

There's always a little "taste test" going on after the first tray of these cookies have been taken out of the oven and they've cooled a bit.  Most of the batch will be packaged/ labelled and frozen for next week.  Yes, these cookies freeze very well.  I usually also place 6 in a small Ziploc Freezer Bag to freeze.  It's a great treat on a cold winter day to find this treasure in our freezer.

This recipe makes about 5 dozen Best Ever Sour Cream Sugar Cookies.  Click here for the recipe.   Look no more for a tasty sugar cookie recipe.  This one has a hint of nutmeg and sour cream.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

      

Hermits

Hermits filled with Raisins!

Are you looking for a homemade cookie to share during this Christmas season that is baked in one cookie pan???  A cookie that is easy to prepare & is ever so yummy???  Think raisins, molasses, ginger & cloves.  It's ingredients say Christmas!!!  Ah, Hermits!  At this time of year we see the commercially packaged brands sold in grocery stores.  Oh, forget purchasing a package!  Bake your own Hermits that are filled with Raisins!

Use your electric mixer, because the dough is stiff.  After making the dough, add the Raisins into the batter using a large spoon.  Then divide the dough into thirds.  Make a large log from each third of dough.  Place the logs in a cookie pan- one in the middle & the other 2 on each side.  Then, flatten each log.  Top each log of dough with the beaten reserved Egg Yolk.  The Egg Yolk gives the Hermits the glossy topping after baking. 

Top flattened logs with Egg wash before baking.

After baking cool for about 15 minutes.  Then, cut each log into slices on a diagonal.  I toss the end pieces, because they can become crispy after cooling. 

After cooled, cut in slices on a diagonal.

Store in an airtight container.  Quite often I place 4 Hermits in a freezer bag to defrost & enjoy in January.  It's quite the treat finding them on a cold snowy day!

Hermits
  Oven:  375°F     Time:  23- 25 Minutes

Ingredients:  
3/4 Cup solid Crisco Shortening
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/4 Cup Molasses
2 Tablespoons Water
2 Eggs – (Reserve about 1 teaspoon for coating)
1 Cup Raisins
3 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves 

Method:

1.  Using mixer, beat Shortening, Sugar, Molasses & Water. Beat until creamy.
2.  Reserve about 1 teaspoon of Egg with a little Yolk. Add Eggs & beat.
3.  Now add Baking Soda, Spices & Flour. Flour is added 1/4 Cup at a time and mixed into batter.  Otherwise you will be peering through a white mist. :)
4.  Fold in Raisins using big spoon or spatula.
5.  Spray PAM on a large cookie pan.
6.  Divide dough into three pieces. Make three logs of dough on cookie pan, flatten.  Leave about 1½ ” border on each end. Dough is very sticky.
7.  Coat top with reserved Egg – use back of teaspoon to spread.
8.  Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 23- 25 minutes (25 minutes in my gas oven).
9.  Cool 15 minutes & cut into diagonals. I throw away end pieces- too hard after cooled.
10.  Remove from cookie pan and store in a container after cooled. 

Hermits are just the best!  They are another fave family cookie!  Bake a batch this week to share with your family & friends.  They are just so good & taste oh so much better than the commercially packages brands.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

    

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
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Sour Cream? Yes, I have Fat Free.
Nutmeg?  Yes.
Salt Free Butter?  Yes, definitely need to use Butter!
Flour & Sugar?  Yes.
Colored Sugars?  Yes, yes!
Rolling pin & rolling mat?  Double yes.
Cookie Cutters?  Definitely!

That's part of my check list before I bake Sour Cream Sugar Cookies.  I've used my go to recipe for rolled out Christmas Sugar Cookies for so long - over 30 years.

Imagine biting into a soft rolled out sugar cookie that has a cute whimsical shape.  As you are chewing the cookie a hint of Nutmeg flavoring tastes so good.  The sugar cookie is festive- decorated with colored sugars.  After eating one, another is hard to resist!         

These cookies are time tested with both my family & my friends!  They are made in 2 steps.

On Day 1 the dough is prepared, wrapped & refrigerated to be used on Day 2.
The next day take out the Colored Sugars, Rolling Pin & Rolling Mat.

This is a very easy cookie to make/ bake.  Roll the dough to 1/4".  Then, use your cookie cutters.  After baking/ cooling a taste test is definitely necessary.  Who can resist this cookie?  Usually I bake them 2- 3 weeks before Christmas & place them in the freezer.  They freeze very well & are so yummy!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
          printable recipe card (click here)         

Oven:  375°F
Yield:  About 5 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Cup unsalted Butter, softened
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (can be Fat Free)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Colored Sugars for Decorating
Cookie Cutters

Method:

Day 1-

1. In large bowl with electric mixer beat Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy. 
2. Add Egg, beat.
3. Add in Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Nutmeg. 
4. While beating on Low, slowly add Flour, 1 Cup at a time.
5. Add in Vanilla and Sour Cream. Beat on Medium until well combined. Dough will be stiff. 
6. Remove dough from bowl and place on plastic wrap, wrap dough.  
7. Place wrapped dough on aluminum foil and wrap well.
8. Refrigerate overnight.  

Day 2-

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Unwrap dough and cut into four parts. 
3. On well floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters. 
4. Place cookies on pan/ sheet 1" apart. (Maybe 12 cookies to a sheet.)
5. Sprinkle with colored sugars. 
6. Bake 10 - 11 Minutes. Bottom of cookies will be a light golden brown.
7. Remove with spatula to wire cooling racks. 
8. When cool store in airtight containers.  

The last time I baked this family fave was the end of March.  My son & soon to be daughter-in-law included them (bells & hearts) in their Welcome Bags for their overnight wedding guests.  4 batches were baked for their very special occasion!  Now, it will always be a tradition with me to use green & purple sprinkles when decorating the bell shaped cookies.  :)

Welcome Bag Cookies
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In the next few days my cookie cutters & rolling pin will be put to work.  I have the Fat Free Sour Cream & Unsalted Butter in my fridge.  It's time to plan on making the dough & baking these soft yummy cookies.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can you eat only one?

The photo says it all.  These soft, chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies will be a surprise for my fam!  The recipe - Ruth Wakefield's Toll House Cookie Recipe - is located on the backside of the packages of Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels.

For more of the story visit my FuN Facts page above.

Do you bake these occasionally?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

"Welcome Bag" Cookies!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies cooling!

A beautiful day, loving family members/ close friends, happy guests, a meaningful ceremony, delicious food.  These are some of dreams on the "wish list" for Brides & Grooms as they prepare for their wedding day.  My son's & daughter- in- law's wishes did come true when they were married a little more than 2 months ago!

They wanted their guests to feel very special and also very welcomed during the weekend!  They did succeed!  A Welcome Bag was waiting at the hotels where the overnight guests were staying.  This was a very thoughtful gift and it was also a gift that was new to me.  Each bag with a cute logo contained bottled water & munchies.

After I learned about the Welcome Bags, I knew that I wanted to add a tidbit for the happy guests who would be celebrating a very special occasion.  Suddenly it came to me!  Cookies, specifically
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies!  These rolled out/ cut out cookies are definitely a family fave and they would be a great surprise!  They are my holiday cookies! 

My Heart and my Bell cookie cutters were located quickly!  The wedding colors were Purple + Sage, so Lavender & Green colored sugars were purchased for the bells along with plastic bags & ties.  The Red colored sugar I already had  for the Hearts!  Fat Free Sour Cream, Low Salt Butter, Sugar & Flour were placed on my grocery list.  These cookies were baked 3 weeks before the wonderful wedding & placed in our freezer until needed.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are a 2 day process.  I prepared 4 batches of batter - each separately and placed in my fridge overnight.  The next day 250 rolled, cut- out cookies were baked.  After they cooled, stacks of cookies were carefully placed into Gallon Sized Ziploc Freezer bags.  Then they were placed very carefully on a shelf in our large freezer.

The day before we drove to upstate NY for the beautiful wedding, the cookies were defrosted.  Each cute cookie bag contained 1 decorated cut out Heart + 1 Bell per person.  These soft, light, yummy cookies were for a very special couple & their guests!

For those of you who have a special family member or friend who will be getting married, bake these delicious cookies to place in the Welcome Bags!  They are definitely a yummy treat!  There is nothing like a homemade Sugar Cookie!  The Sour Cream makes it very light.  This is my fave Sugar Cookie!

Packaged & ready for the "Welcome Bags"!

***Note:  1 batch required 1/2 hour to prepare the dough.  1 batch required 1 hour to roll out/ cut out & bake the next day.  The recipe for 1 batch is below along with a printable recipe card.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
     printable recipe card (click here)

Oven:  375°F
Yield:  About 5 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Cup unsalted Butter, softened
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (can be Fat Free)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Colored Sugars for Decorating
Cookie Cutters

Method:

Day 1-

1. In large bowl with electric mixer beat Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy. 
2. Add Egg, beat.
3. Add in Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Nutmeg. 
4. While beating on Low, slowly add Flour, 1 Cup at a time. 
5. Add in Vanilla and Sour Cream. Beat on Medium until well combined. Dough will be stiff. 
6. Remove dough from bowl and place on plastic wrap, wrap dough.
7. Place wrapped dough on aluminum foil and wrap well.
8. Refrigerate overnight.  

 Day 2-

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Unwrap dough and cut into four parts. 
3. On well floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters.
4. Place cookies on pan/ sheet 1" apart. (Maybe 12 cookies to a sheet.) 
5. Sprinkle with colored sugars. 
6. Bake 10 - 11 Minutes. Bottom of cookies will be a light golden brown. 
7. Remove with spatula to wire cooling racks.  
8. When cool store in airtight containers.

***My very thoughtful hubby definitely helped on baking day!!!  Four hands worked twice as fast with an oven door opening & closing every 11 minutes!   :)

The 4 batches of Sour Cream Sugar Cookies were cooled & a few hours later packaged in freezer bags.  Into our large freezer they were placed.

Yes, they were a delicious treat for all of the over night guests, including our family!  :)

We all Enjoyed!
Yummy!

          

Christmas Hermits

Hermits

Cloves!  Ginger!  Cinnamon and Molasses!  What a great combination in a dessert recipe.  The wonderful aroma in my kitchen was followed by tasting these ingredients... plus Raisins in a Hermit!  Oh Yum!  This is a great tasting cookie!

If you are searching for an easy to bake cookie recipe to share during the upcoming holidays, this is the recipe for you!  Hermits are a long time family fave.

This cookie is baked in a large cookie pan.  The stiff dough is separated into thirds.  Make a roll (log) with each third of the dough before placing in the cookie pan.  Flatten the roll - making sure the flattened rolls do not connect in the pan.  Then top each roll with the beaten reserved Egg Yolk.  This gives the Hermits the glossy topping after baking.

Before placing in oven.

 After baking, cool 15 minutes before cutting into slices on the diagonal.  The ends are usually very crispy, so I do not save them.

Ready for the taste test!

This is a delicious cookie to share with family & friends at Christmas!  However, no need to wait until this time of year.  Bake a batch to enjoy and to share any time.  They are soooo gooood!  

Hermits       printable Recipe Card
     Oven: 375°F     23- 25 Minutes

Ingredients:
¾ cup solid Crisco Shortening
1 and ½ Cups Sugar
¼ Cup Molasses
2 Tablespoons Water
2 Eggs – (Reserve about 1 teaspoon for coating)
1 Cup Raisins
3 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
½ teaspoon Ground Cloves 

Method:

1. Using mixer, beat Shortening, Sugar, Molasses & Water. Beat until creamy.
2. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of Egg with a little Yolk. Add Eggs & beat.
3. Now add Baking Soda, Spices & Flour. Flour is added ¼ cup at a time and mixed into batter,  Otherwise you will be peering through a white mist. :)
4. Fold in Raisins using big spoon or spatula.
5. Spray PAM on a large cookie pan.
6. Divide dough into three pieces. Make three rows of dough on
   cookie pan, leaving about 1½ ” border on each end. Dough is very sticky.
7. Coat top with reserved Egg – use back of teaspoon to spread.
8. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 23- 25 minutes (25 minutes in my gas oven).
9. Cool 15 minutes & cut into diagonals. I throw away end pieces- too hard after cooled.
10. Remove from cookie pan and store in a container after cooled.

This cookie containing Ground Cloves, Ginger & Cinnamon is delicious!  The Christmas baking has started!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Father’s Day is approaching!

Soon during the month of June the strawberry fields here in Western Massachusetts and in Northern Connecticut will be filled with the ripening, red, delicious berries. It will be Strawberry Shortcake time! This is a wonderful dessert to make and to surprise your Dad with on Father’s Day! If the fresh local berries are not ready to be picked, frozen and defrosted strawberries or strawberries purchased in the grocery store can be used. Fortunately, we have two frozen packages of local strawberries that were prepared and placed in our freezer last June. The shortcake recipe is easy to make and tastes scrumptious!

Yummy Blueberry Muffins are another mouth-watering dessert to prepare for Dad. These tasty muffins can be enjoyed any time during the day. Craisin Raisin Oaties always bring the question of eating just one without reaching into the cookie jar for another. A family favorite for us on any occasion is Cranorange Coffee Cake. It will be difficult to decide which recipe to bake. Fortunately, I have a few days to decide what to prepare.

Happy Father’s Day to all Dads!!!