Catch up on cooking

Summer has been very busy lately and I haven't kept up with my blog.

But, here is one of the recipes I have tackled recently. When we lived in Utah, we would purchase these gigantic, CD size sugar cookies. The brand name was Granny B's sugar cookies. They are very similar to the Lofthouse brand of sugar cookies. The cookies are amazingly soft and moist and the frosting is delicious.

Granny's Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. butter, softened (no substitutes!)

2 large eggs

2 Tbs. Vanilla extract

4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Then gradually add the flour continuing to mix until well blended. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with various shaped cookie cutters, if you so desire, dipping them in flour first so the dough will release easily.

Transfer cookies to a cookie sheet lined parchment paper, they will transfer to a cooling rack so easily.Bake at 350 degree for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies when they barely are brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

Just Like Lofthouse Easy Pink Sugar Cookie Frosting

2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 c. softened butter (no substitutions!)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3 Tbs. half and half

5 drops of red food coloring

Using a mixer, beat all ingredients together until well mixed. Start slow or you will be covered with powdered sugar. The consistency should not be too firm, but also not runny. It should hesitatingly drip/plop from your spatula if you scoop up a dollop and hold it over the bowl. Use an extra Tbs. of cream or of powdered sugar to regulate the thickness. It is best to ice the cookies with the frosting right after you make it as it will be almost perfectly smooth when it sets.

Know that if you put it in the fridge, it will firm up to almost twice as hard as it is right after you mix it, just leave it out on the counter to thaw and then use a fork to fluff it up.

If you want to be exceedingly decadent, or stupid like I was, use 1 1/2 c. of butter instead of the 1/2 c. I misread the directions, and change the powdered sugar to 3+ cups. The mistake more closely resembled the Granny B frosting. But, it isn't very good on the waistline!