Grandma’s Sugar Cookies

These cookies are legend in my mind.

Grandma Wales made huge pumpkin shaped sugar cookies every fall.  They were roughly the size of your hand.  Soft, sweet, stuff that angels would eat. 

She made them for us every Halloween after we moved next door to her.  She wasn’t really our grandmother, but it was a fitting title for her, and she really took us in after our own grandmother passed away from cancer.  After only two years, we moved away from her because my father’s work transferred him.  No more Halloweens at Grandma’s. 

Instead, if she knew we were coming, she made a special batch just for us and sent them for our ride home in large baggies.  It made the four and a half hour ride back home a little more tolerable for all of us.

When I was older and had more interest in cooking and baking, I encouraged her to write the recipe out for me.  I found it tonight in an old photo album I used to store some of my favorite recipes.

Doris’s Sugar Cookies

• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• vanilla flavoring
• 1 cup sour cream
• about 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder

Other than “bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes,” she didn’t include any other instructions.  I have always sifted the soda, flour, and other dry ingredients together in one bowl and the sugar and wet ingredients in another before gradually combining.  She never specified how much flavoring - I use about 1 1/2 tsp.  I find too that separating and refrigerating the dough prior to rolling is necessary.

She would decorate them with icing, which likely was not Betty Crocker.  Use your own favorite recipe, or Betty’s.

I haven’t made these in such a long time.  Ismael’s love for sweet combined with his type 2 diabetes make these an unnecessary temptation in our house.   I hope though that these will be something I can make for my son and in that way, he will know a little of his “Grandma” too.