Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

This recipe appears to be from the Chicago Tribune, circa 1950's or 1960's. Upon sampling, it became apparent to me how conditioned I have become to things that are ueber-sweet. This recipe might be considered bland by some. It is not sugary (despite sugar sprinkled on top) as store-bought sugar cookies often are, and it is definitely not a soft sugar cookie. The nutmeg is very mild, and the sour cream probably contributes to keeping the sweetness at bay. It's crunchy, but not hard or tough. Nor is it particularly crumbly. This is a simple cookie to enjoy with tea or coffee.

Here are some of the little adjustments I made. The recipe says to use a round cutter. I elected to also use various Christmas shapes: snowman, tree, bell, star, holly. And I divided the dough into thirds before chilling. I chilled the dough overnight. I sprinkled the cutouts with a coarse sugar called White Sparkling Sugar by Wilton ("sprinkles"). Baking for nine minutes was sufficient. At 10 minutes, the edges got a little browner than I was aiming for, but the color was still perfectly acceptable and not "burnt." In my oven, 12 minutes would be way too much! The yield is over seven dozen, not the four dozen stated in the original recipe.

This is a very basic cookie which could possibly be further decorated with an icing of some sort. It should freeze well. I still haven't decided if I'll keep it in the arsenal.

4-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup soft butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Granulated or colored sugar

Sift together the flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and nutmeg. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, mix until smooth.

Cover with waxed paper, foil, or plastic film. Chill in refrigerator until firm enough to roll (several hours or overnight). Roll 1/3 of dough at a time. Roll 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Store remaining dough in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cut rolled dough into rounds with floured 3-inch cutter. Arrange on ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes or until done and lightly browned. Yield: About 4 dozen cookies.