Angel Sugar Crisps

This is a yummy, very crisp sugar cookie. The recipe comes from Taste of Home, a never ending source of good homemade foods. Be sure to use Turbinado or raw sugar to roll them in. Regular granulated sugar is just not the same. They are baked in a hot oven which makes them crisp.

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup solid shortening

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp salt

Turbinado or raw sugar

Cream together butter, shortening, sugars, egg, and vanilla until fluffy.

Sift together flour, soda, cream of tartar, and salt. (I didn't sift this). Add to creamed mixture. Mix until blended.

Scoop cookies into 1½" balls. Roll in turbinado sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. 

Bake @400 for 10 minutes.

Yield: 2½ dozen

Snickerdoodles

Betty Crocker again. The original Betty Crocker Cookie Book, which has now been reprinted, is a great recipe book.

1/2  lb  butter or maragrine, softened
1-1/2  cups  sugar
2  eggs
2-3/4  cups  flour
2  tsp  cream of tartar
1  tsp  baking soda
1  tsp  salt
2  Tbs  cinnamon
2  Tbs  sugar

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Chill dough for 1-2 hours.

Roll dough into balls the size of walnuts. Roll balls in a mixture of the cinnamon and sugar. Put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake @350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Coconut Sugar Cookies

Another great Christmas cookie.

1  cup  butter or margarine
1  tsp  vanilla
1  cup  sugar
2  cups  flour
1/2  tsp  baking soda
1/2  cup  flaked coconut
Candied cherries, halved

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and baking soda gradually. Add coconut. Roll into 1-inch balls. Flatten with a fork, criss-cross. Place a cherry half on top. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake @350 for 10 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

A Betty Crocker recipe that I have made for years. It's a crisp cookie. Frost if you want, or just enjoy them just as they are.

1-1/2  cups  sifted powdered sugar
1  cup  butter or margarine
1  egg
1  tsp  vanilla
1/2  tsp  almond flavoring
2-1/2  cups  flour
1  tsp  baking  soda
1  tsp  cream of tartar

Beat butter, sugar, egg, and almond flavoring. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until blended. Do not over-work the dough or the cookies will be tough.

For cut outs, chill the dough 2-3 hours befor rolling out to 1/4" thickness, and cutting with desired cookie cutter. For round cookies, simply drop by spoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet. Rub a little butter on the bottom of a flat-based drinking glass. Dip it into some granulated sugar, and then press down the cookie dough.

Sprinkle the cookies with some sugar (granulated or coarse raw sugar). Bake @374 for 7 minutes, or until delicately browned.

Do not double this recipe. If you want more cookies, you will have to make two batches.

Icing for Sugar Cookies:
2-1/2  cups  powdered sugar
3  Tbs  hot water
2  tsp  light corn syrup
1/4  tsp vanilla

Mix well, using an electric mixer. Spread on cookies and decorate as you desire.

Maple Snickerdoodles

Keep a canister of raw sugar (often called turbinado or demura sugar) on the pantry shelf to use for sprinkling on top of many cookies before baking. I also sprinkle it on top of a pie crust before popping it in the oven. Just adds a nice little sparkle to baked goods.


2  cups  all-purpose flour
1-1/2  tsp  baking powder
1/4  tsp  baking soda
1-1/2  tsp  cinnamon
1/2  cup  butter (room temperature)
1  cup  white sugar
1  egg
1/4  cup  real maple syrup
1/2  cup  white sugar
1/4  cup   maple sugar*
Raw sugar

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl.

Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. Beat the egg and maple syrup into the butter and sugar. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.

Mix the white sugar and maple sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the sugar mixture. Place the balls on a baking sheet. Flatten just slightly with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle raw sugar over the tops.

Bake in a preheated 350° oven until very lightly golden brown and cracked on top, about 8-10 minutes.

*If you don’t have the maple sugar, just use all white sugar (for rolling the balls into).  Same goes for the raw sugar used to sprinkle on the tops.