The Best Sugar Cookies (trust me)

Every year for Christmas, my grandma would bake these delicious, fluffy cookies. Our family would gather together for a day of decorating. It was our way of sharing a holiday tradition, and to find out what to get everyone for last-minute shopping.

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You can tell a lot about a person by how they decorate their cookies. It was an unfiltered look into each of our personalities if one was paying attention. We had creamy frosting and an assortment of sprinkles at our disposal. Some would be meticulous and detailed; spending a few minutes on each cookie. Some would slab the icing on, dash some sprinkles, and call it good. Others ate more cookies than they decorated.

Below, I have the recipes for the delicious Christmas sugar cookies and the buttercream frosting that brought us together as a family. I have added a few tips I learned as I baked.

Depending on where you are reading this from, you may notice my ingredients pictured here look funny. It is because I live in Belgium and the labels are in French or Dutch. My challenge was to find sufficient replacements for the American brands I was used to. One thing I could not find here was sour cream. My substitute is a light, fermented cheese. Plain yogurt also works as a substitute.

Personal tip: Eat something first; breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Unless you have superior self-control, you will surely be "taste testing" the dough and the cookies as you go. They are delicious, but all that sugar on an empty stomach won't leave you feeling very well.

Take out your shortening and butter first, and put in a warm place: in the sunlight of a window, on top of the fridge, on top of the oven; something that will warm them up. These are much easier to work with if softened. Don't try to warm your shortening with a hair dryer when the sugar is in the bowl. Yes, I admit to this silly idea. Sometimes, creativity backfires...

I highly recommend a mixer. I did the cookie recipe with a spatula, and my arm tired quickly in just the first step of mixing the shortening with the sugar.

When you mix in the flour, the third and fourth cup will be tough. The batter will be thick.

When you roll out the dough, be sure there is enough flour on the board. Also, roll the ball of dough in a thin layer of flour to start. You will have problems if your dough starts sticking to your pin or the cutting board.

Bake time may vary a little depending on your oven and the size of your cookies. I took mine out right when I saw a little hint of brown on the edges.

Thank you for reading. Happy baking and Happy Holidays!

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