Grandma's Sugar Cookies

makes 6 to 7 dozen

• 2 cups sifted AP flour
• ½ tsp soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup sour cream

1. Sift together flour, soda, salt, and nutmeg.
2. Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, creaming well.
3. Blend in sour cream, then dry ingredients. Blend well. Chill.
4. Roll out on floured surface half at a time, to ⅛ inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes (or use one of the suggestions below). Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake at 350°for 8 to 10 minutes.

Angel Cookies

Cut dough into 3 inch rounds. Cut a triangle from both sides of the cookie. Invert triangle to form ‘wings’. Press to seal. Bake and decorate.

Christmas Tree Cookies

Cut dough into 3 inch rounds. Cut off two sides of circle to form triangle shape. Cut curved pieces into ⅛ inch strips and criss-cross over tree. Use a short piece for trunk. Bake and decorate.

Reindeer Cookies

Cut dough into 3 inch rounds. Cut off two sides of circle to form triangle shape. Place the two curved pieces on either side of the wide end of the triangle for ‘antlers’. Press to seal. Cut curved pieces and spread to form ‘antlers’. Bake and decorate.

Silhouettes

Color half of dough red or green. Roll out plain dough. Cut into rounds with 2 or 3 inch coutters. Cut out centers of cookie with smaller shaped cutters. Repeat with colored dough. Transfer white centers to colored rounds and colored centers to white rounds. Bake as above.

Poinsettias

Roll out pink dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch squares. Cut ¾ inch diagonally from each corner to center. Fold alternate points of square to center, forming a pinwheel shape. Place candied cherry in center. Bake.

Filled Cookies

Make filling by combining ½ cup light cream, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup nuts, and ½ cup ground raisins in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly untill thickened. Add ¼ tsp vanilla, cool.

Christmas Bells

Roll out dough, cut into 2½ inch rounds. Place ½ tsp filling in the center. Shape into ‘belll’ by folding sides to meet over filling, using a spatula to lift sides. Place a piece of maraschino cherry at the open end for ‘clapper’

Flowerettes

Roll out dough, cut into star shapes. Place filling in center. Top with a second star, placing it to form a ten pointed flower. Other shapes, such as squares or shamrocks may be used. Decorate with a nut and bake.

Refrigerated Cookies

Shape dough into rolls 2 inches in diameter. Wrap and chill overnight. Cut into ⅛ inch slices and bake.

Ribbon Cookies

Color half of dough red or green. Chill. Roll out each half to a 10x4 inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise and stack the strips, alternating colors. Wrap and chill overnight. Cut into ⅛ inch slices and bake.

Pinwheel Cookies

Color half of dough. Chill. Roll out each half to a 12x8 inch rectangle. Place colored dough over plain dough and roll up, starting with 12 inch side. Wrap and chill overnight. Cut into ⅛ inch slices and bake.

Swirled Cookies

Color, chill, and roll out dough as for pinwheel cookies. Place colored dough over plain dough. Roll up the two 8-inch sides toward each other until they meet in center of rectangle. Wrap and chill overnight. Cut into ⅛ inch slices. Twist each cookie once to form an ‘S’. Bake.

Double ‘O’ Cookies

Color half of dough. Chill. Shape colored dough into a 10 inch roll, 1 inch in diameter. Roll out plain dough to 10x4 inch rectangle, and roll around colored dough, sealing edge. Wrap and chill overnight. Cut into ⅛ inch slices and bake.