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It always amazes me how the aroma or taste of something from the kitchen can bring back so many memories. For me, one bite of our homemade Christmas cookies and I am transported back to my childhood. Christmas wasn’t complete without a batch of my mom’s homemade Old Fashioned Butter Cookies. These cookies were different from others I’d see in the store or bakeries, as my mom rolled them out very thin, almost thinner than a pie crust. They were then baked until just a bit golden and had a satisfying, buttery crunch when bitten into. And everyone seemed to have their favorite cookie shape. Mine was always the snowman, with red sugar sprinkles.
My mom got this family recipe from her neighbor and friend while living in their 1st home with their young family. I remember coming home from school in December with a fresh batch of cookies spread out on the counter. I also remember begging to make them with a friend when I was in grade school, and boy, did we make a mess in the kitchen, with flour and sprinkles everywhere! I now roll out these cookies in my own kitchen for my family, using the very same cookie cutouts from my childhood. Yes, they can be a lot of work and yes, they create a mess with sugar crystals and flour everywhere. But if my family remembers these cookies when they are grown, then the mess in the kitchen will all be worth it.
Old Fashioned Butter Cookies
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, well beaten
- 4 cups sifted flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Cream butter; add sugar and vanilla and continue creaming until light. Beat eggs and add to butter mixture. Blend well. Sift flour, measure, sift with salt and add to dough, using more flour if necessary, to make dough stiff. Chill 30 minutes (or longer).
- Roll out thinner than ¼” thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake on cookie sheet at 400 degrees. Start watching cookies at 5 minutes, as baking time will vary depending on thickness of cookies.