Monday Morning Sugar Cookies

Good morning!!  I woke up with an itch to bake. With only two more weeks until Christmas I decided to make the most of it. Holiday spirit and justifies sugar cookies before breakfast. So I climbed into my pantry and pulled down one of my favorite cook books: Betty Crockers’ Cooky Book (1963 print). I’ve had this book forever. Actually it belonged to my grandmother, and then my mother, and now me. The pages are well-loved with tattered corners. As a kid I used to flip through it often.

I’ve loved baking for as long as I can remember. I must have been about 8 or 9 years old when I started baking cookies with mom. I remember when I was 9 I baked my dad cookies all by myself. I was so proud. I couldn’t wait to show him what I’d done. Unfortunately I used lemon extract instead of vanilla extract, and they were chocolate chip cookies. When you’re 9 the bottles look the same. Anyhow, they had to be awful, but he ate them anyways and praised me for my good work.

Before long I was cooking dinner. Most junior high girls woke up on Saturdays to watch Saved By The Bell. I woke up, and with a stack of cook books in my lap, started putting together a grocery list for me and mom. Not only did I love baking. I loved cooking and grocery shopping too. Did anyone else love grocery shopping as a kid? Maybe it’s because it was something mom and I always did together. It was a girl thing.  I still love grocery shopping with her when I go to visit. I love you mama.

So my cookies turned out so pretty! Just your basic sugar cookie recipe with store bought frosting (whipped vanilla). I tried to make icing but it turned out really bitter and I didn’t feel like putting any more time into it so I just pulled down a tub from the pantry.

Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream above ingredients until smooth.

2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp salt
1tsp baking powder

Add dry ingredients gradually to sugar mixture while beating until smooth. Chill in refrigerator for one hour. Then place ball of dough out on floured surface, with rolling-pin roll flat (1/8″ thickness.. thicker if you like fluffy cookies). Bake @ 400F degrees on greased cookie sheet for 6-8minutes.

So that’s that. I’ve been baking, blogging, and watched While You Were Sleeping. It’s a holiday movie, light-hearted romantic comedy. Just my thing! Now I’m headed out for a run. It looked dry earlier but I’m afraid its raining now. Darn! I should have jumped on that first thing this morning, but what can I say, cookies were calling my name. Besides, now I can enjoy a nice long run with no further agenda. The day is mine. Happy Monday to everyone..