LISA JONES BAKER’S CHRISTMAS COOKIES

When I took my first bite of these cookies, over four decades ago, I knew they were, without a doubt, the best I had ever eaten. The recipe came from my aunt. At the time, I was in 4H and loved to cook. I still do! Over the years, when I visited my sister’s family, I would take the ingredients with me and make the cookies at their house. The batch would quickly disappear. Now the cookies are a Christmas tradition. My niece bakes the treats for her boys, and I’m sure this recipe will stay in our family forever.

 

INGREDIENTS

2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together and put aside flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, let the butter soften naturally. Mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Once blended, add flour mixture.

After the cookie dough is made, bunch it into a ball, wrap it tightly in waxed paper, and refrigerate for two to three hours. Then, take half the batch, roll it out, and sprinkle lightly with flour so the dough won’t stick. Cut into ornament shapes.

Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 F for eight minutes or so. Enjoy!

For icing, I let a stick of butter get to room temperature. When it’s soft, stir in enough powdered sugar and milk to make the icing smooth and creamy.