Christmas cookies

I've been busy this week, like everyone else no doubt, baking christmas cookies. Only these cookies aren't just for family and friends, but instead for elders and shut-ins that live alone and don't have many visitors during the holiday season. We'll deliver to over two hundred recipients next week.. boxes & boxes of assorted Christmas cookies. It's a very special project for me, one that I started eighteen years ago and one that I look forward to each year. With our move this past year, they'll be some new faces for me to meet..new friends to be made.

Among the varieties of Italian cookies will be one cookie I make often. Not a pizzelle, or a fig cookie, nor macaroons, Todos or wandies..but a simple sugar cookie. Probably the best sugar cookie you'll ever eat :) You can decorate them any way you prefer, but I like them plain and simple with a sprinkling of sugar on top right before they are ready to pop in the oven. So if you haven't started your holiday cookie baking yet, give this recipe a try. The cookie itself simply melts in your mouth. This batch was made with lavender sugar that I made earlier this Autumn after havesting the lavender beds, but anise sugar or plain ole sugar will surely do. One of the great things, in addition to the buttery flavor is the fact that these cookies travel beautifully! I ship oodles of them across the country with no breakage. Now how many sugar cookies can you say that about?


The Best Christmas Sugar Cookie

Cream together:

1 cup real butter
1 cup vegetable oil (yes, you read it right..veggie oil, a whole cup)
1 cup lavender sugar , or plain
2 eggs

In a separate bowl mix:

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla or lemon, or any extract of choice

Add the flour mixture to the creamed portion slowly, mixing well. You can now either roll them into small balls or drop by teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Touch your thumb to forefinger--see that circle? Make the dough balls no larger than that. Flatten with a decorative press or with a glass (either one, dipped in sugar). I like to sprinkle a titch more of sugar on top too! Bake 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Enjoy!