Chefmom's Blue Ribbon Sugar Cookies
List of Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks (3/4) cup Butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Crisco, butter flavored or regular
2 cups Sugar
4 Eggs
2 Tbsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
2 tsp Baking Powder
5 - 5 1/2 cups Flour
-----you may need a touch moreRecipe
Cream butter and Crisco until light and fluffy, several minutes. You want the fats to be blended and smooth. Scrape bowl and add sugar, continue to cream until a very pale ivory color, another 3 - 5 minutes. The batter should lose it's grainy-ness.
Add eggs one at a time, allow each to incorporate before adding next addition. Scrape bowl, add flavorings and baking powder.
Stir in flour. To test if you need more flour, lift the beaters and press your finger onto the batter. When you bring your finger back, if the batter sticks just barely, leaving only a small residue of batter, your dough is done. If the batter still sticks considerably, you need to add about 1/2 cup more flour.
Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic. Shape into rectangles and refrigerate 12 or more hours, or freeze. When you do this, the dough chills faster and evenly. Also, you will see, it will roll out so much nicer! The colder the dough stays, and the faster you can roll it to the proper thickness, the easier it is to cut shapes and transfer them to the sheet pan.
Preheat oven to 350º.
Divide one rectangle of dough in half. Roll the piece to a rectangle 1/4" to 3/8" thick on a lightly floured surface, turning and adding a dusting of flour as needed. If you work quickly, then the dough should stay firm for cutting.
Cut into shapes and bake 350º 2" apart on lightly greased, parchment paper covered, or silpat covered sheet pans until edges just begin to turn golden (7+ minutes). The baking time will depend on the thickness, the number of cookies per tray, your oven, the type of sheet pan and how it's greased, etc, how many pans are in the oven, how high the moon is in the sky, how deep the grass has grown.....um, well, maybe not. BUT...don't just go by the time settings. When you first bake this, or any cookie recipe, be sure to time them and then destroy one by flipping it to see the bottom. You want an even light golden bottom. If you like the thin and crispy cookie, roll thinner and bake until the top starts to brown. It has great flavor and crunch!!! Write the baking time down, and use it for a future guide. Yes, it can vary THAT much.
Allow to cool on pans completely and then remove. If you are using the "greased sheet" method, cool for 1 minute and then move with a spatula to a cooling rack or towel. Store in the open air if you are eating them in a day or so, or store in the freezer, uniced, in a plastic zip-bag sealed in a container. They freeze great for several months!
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A Note from Chefmom...
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** You can eat these cookies straight up. Left open to the air they will be chompy, not soft and cake like. If you ice them, and let them sit overnight, they will soften considerably. If you love a super crunch (like me!) you can chill the cut-outs on the sheet pan and brush them with some lightly beaten egg white. Then sprinkle with large grained coarse sanding sugar. Bake. These super chompy, sweet and yummy cookies are my personal favorite! Perfect with ice cold milk or coffee or tea.
**Silpat baking mats are available at http://www.bridgekitchenware.com
Check them out, they put them on "online only" specials and with great shipping rates, it's the only way to go. Don't forget a catalog ($3), it's a great company with a great selection of kitchen items!!
**Coarse sugar is available at http://www.kingarthurflour.com
They have an awsome array of baking ingredients, as well as recipes and a "family" feel to their business. Catalogs are available for free online.
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