These are not your gramma’s sugar cookies and they’re DEFINITELY not grocery store sugar cookies. I say that because i hate sugar cookies, the normal ones. Bland, sweet, crispy, plain tasting. I don’t get the appeal. THESE babies, however have been a staple in our house since i was a little girl. Not sure where the recipe comes from – either handed down from my mom’s grandma or out of one of mom’s cookbooks. I do not claim the invention of these cookies, all i know is i’ve been making them since i was small. While mom made her fancy cookies my daddy and i made these and made a mess!This recipe is very easy: make it with our kiddos and start a family tradition!
Lemony Sugar Cookies
- 4 cups flour
- 1/2 t salt
- 1 cup butter (or margarine)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 t vanilla
- 3 T lemon juice
- Preheat 350
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and well integrated
- Add eggs and beat well
- Beat in vanilla & lemon juice
- On top of wet ingredients or in separate bowl mix dry ingredients well
- Mix dry ingredients with wet
- Divide dough into 4 parts, wrap in saran and chill in fridge several ours
- On floured board roll portions out, not too thin, not too thick, cut with cutters
- Bake on cookie sheets 8 – 10 minutes
PS: These photos were taken when I used a pre mixed 50/50 whole wheat, white flour. This made the cookies browner, more textured, and just plain “not as good.” I would recommend sticking to all purpose white flour.
After the cookies have cooled, decorate with some fun icing and maybe some sprinkles. I use confectioners sugar and water, but you could add cream of tartar or make fancy egg white frosting. Have fun with it!
Does your family have a traditional holiday recipe that everyone makes together?
My grandma was definitely a 50’s farm wife and like all good women from the 50’s she loved her extracts. Her sugar cookies include both lemon flavoring and butter flavoring. I should try substituting lemon juice. Or perhaps making my own extract?
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My first mother-in-law is Italian, and she and Grandma and I used to make about 20 different kinds of cookies back in the day. I have all her old recipes and have passed them down to my daughters and my granddaughter. I don’t make very many any more, though…I spy HEB sugar – are you in Texas? I’m in Austin.
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hee hee! This post was from my “An Austin Homestead” days. I used to write an urban homesteading blog, and did in fact live in Austin!
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These look great. I also hate store-bought sugar cookies. I will have to give these a try.
Mmm…I love homemade sugar cookies, and the addition of the lemon juice would be fantastic. I will definitely try this recipe out.
Shortbread has always been a cookie staple at Christmas for my family, but over the past few years, I’ve become sort of obsessed with finding the perfect gingerbread cookie recipe. Every year I try out a new one, and there have been quite a few hits, and some very awful misses (one year they were as hard as hockey pucks!). I’ve got some cookie dough chilling as I write this – it mixed very well, so maybe this is the year I finally find a keeper!
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This recipe looks good ! I make ones that are lightly spiced with nutmeg and have some plain yogurt in them. I also make a gingerbread cookie from Colonial Williamsburg that is great for the kids because they don’t suffer from re-rolling and handling and the dough is not too sticky.
I do not use regular whole wheat flour in delicate baked goods, but some ww PASTRY flour (made from soft wheat and not good with yeast – and local for me!) works great. In your recipe, I will probably use 1 cup ww pastry flour and 3 cups all-purpose.
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