How old does something have to be before it’s considered an antique? I suppose the cookie cutters I used to make these sugar cookie Santas and trees haven’t quite made the cut-off yet, but I calculate that they’re at least 23 years old, possibly more.
With the exception that I used my own favorite recipe, these Christmas cookies are exact replicas of the version we used to make with my grandmother when I was very little. These simple and gloriously thick sugar cookies would be carefully cut-out with well floured cookie cutters, gently placed on cookie sheets (lest the tree should end up star-less, or Santa feet-less) and topped generously with red and green sprinkles before baking. Then on Christmas Eve I would laboriously select the best cookies to leave out for Santa by the fireplace. I think the big red guy appreciated my efforts.
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies (Originally published on the Food Network website)
1 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In a second bowl, combine and mix well the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Stir flour into butter mixture 1 cup at a time.
Chill dough for 3 to 4 hours.
Roll out dough and cut into shapes with cookie cutters or a knife. My Note: Roll the dough out thickly (around 1/4 of an inch).
Bake on a sheet pan or a parchment lined sheet pan in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the cookie. My Note: To keep them from getting crisp take the cookies out of the oven when the edges have just begun to color slightly. Around 10 minutes.
Remove cookies to a rack to cool completely.