What A Great Friend: Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies came from a wonderful friend of mine, Michael Ann over at The Big Green Bowl. And I'll tell you why I like our friendship. Michael Ann is a very straight forward type of person, and the more we chat, the more I find out that we have tons of things in common. Make sure you visit her blog because she has a lot of great stuff over there. And she is also an awesome writer, definitely my idol.....She has a writing blog called Thinking in My Head. You will have to check that one out too.

When I found this recipe, I contacted Michael Ann with the ideas I had to make changes to this cookie....

Here is where the straight forward comes into play, and I just love her for setting me straight. She told me to make the original recipe first to taste the cookie and then decide on the changes. I took her advice, and I'm so glad I did....What a wonderful cookie. I found out that these are best eaten warm right out of the oven. And then my review of the cold cookie is this: make sure you have a cup of coffee or a glass of milk, because these are awesome dunkers.....

I didn't have any store bought colored sugar so I used course cane sugar and green food coloring to make my own. Worked perfectly!

I also used a large cookie scoop which meant a longer baking time (mine took 15 - 17 minutes). I also had to flatten the cookies a little before baking. If you notice in the picture above, my first batch (without flattening them) look like puffy half moons.

This sugar cookie has the best flavor and texture, and definitely lives up to the name "old fashioned".

Make sure you remove them from the oven right when the edges start turning a golden brown.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter, soft

1 c. powdered sugar

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 c. salad oil

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. dried lemon peel (McCormick makes it, California lemon peel)

4 1/4 c. bread flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cream of tarter

Colored sugar for tops

This batter needs to sit in the fridge for several hours (I left mine in over night).

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time until light and fluffy. Add oil, vanilla and lemon peel. Beat until well-mixed. In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat until well-blended. Wrap and chill dough for 3-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Use a cookie scoop (or drop by heaping tsp. then roll into balls) and set about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Do not flatten the dough. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Let sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Store in airtight container or freeze.