Pauline Smith’s Sugar Cookies

These cookies are like no other I have ever found. They were my grandma’s recipe and are a tradition in my family. Grandma didn’t really measure the flour and never wrote down a set time for baking them. Because of that you may have to experiment a little. In my oven, it is usually about 13 minutes. These are great dunked in milk!

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 2 dozen

Prep Time: 20 minutes prep. time, several hours to chill   Cook Time: 10-15 minutes  

Ingredients

2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shortening or lard
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
4 – 5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt

Directions

Cream together, sugar, eggs and shortening.

In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk with the baking soda and add them to the creamed mixture.

Add vanilla and salt.

Add the flour one cup at a time, making sure to mix well.

Chill well.

Roll out on floured surface and cut out. Sprinkle with sugar and bake on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375* until little or no finger print shows. They should be very lightly golden- soft, fat and cake-like after they cool. Grandma sometimes added ground dates to the recipe, and that was delicious, too.

Categories: Cookies & Bars, Old-Fashioned

Submitted by: on May 2, 2010