Sugar cookies are known for their pure, sweet, genuine taste - sugar cookies are always worth your time and effort in the kitchen

These sugar cookie recipes are simple and delicious every time.

Sugar cookies have several popular names: sugar cookies, butter cookies, rolled cookies, shape- or cut-out cookies and vanilla cookies. Some of the names are regional, but what all of them have in common is that the predominant flavorings in all the above are sugar, vanilla and butter rather than a wide array of spices and seasonings. They are deceptively simple and absolutely delicious.

Christmas Cutouts (A Family Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 c butter

1 c white sugar

1 c brown sugar

4 eggs

3 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla

6 c flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg*

Instructions:

• Cream together the butter and sugars

• Beat together the eggs, water and vanilla

• Mix and sift the remainder of the ingredients

• Combine wet and dry ingredients

• Cover and chill. Roll small balls of chilled dough out on a lightly-floured surface and cut with cookie-cutters

• Bake 350 degrees eight to 10 minutes or until dry and very lightly browned. Makes eight- to nine-dozen cookies depending on sizes of cookie cutters

*For nutmeg, substitute finely-grated lemon peel and one-tsp. lemon extract for vanilla.

These cookies also taste very good with no nutmeg at all.

Drop Sugar Cookies

These are an easy cookie to make with children. You could get out the colored sprinkles. 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 c white sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups flour

Instructions:

• Cream the butter and vanilla

• Beat in the sugar and eggs

• Stir in the flour

• Drop teaspoonfuls on a buttered cookie sheet, one inch apart; bake at 375 degrees for eight to 10 minutes

• Makes three to four dozen

Rosewater Shortbread

Part of many sugar cookies involves being able to discern the texture of the sugar. Shortbread has a sandy, sugary texture.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter

1 cup white sugar

4 cups flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla or rosewater*

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

• Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan and cover the bottom with a piece of lightly-greased waxed paper

• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla or rosewater together

• Work in dry ingredients

• Place mixture in paper-lined pans, press flat with fingers. Final cake should be roughly ¾-inch thick

• Prick all over with a floured fork. Score shortbread for cutting with a floured knife

• Bake 350 degrees until lightly browned and no longer puffed. You can also roll out small chilled balls of shortbread and cut with biscuit or cookie cutters. Prick each cookie with floured fork

*Rosewater is a very old seasoning, obtainable mostly at old-fashioned pharmacies, Middle Eastern grocery stores, health-food stores, and specialty-cooking catalogs. It imparts what can only be described as a fruity aftertaste. If you make shortbread often, you can vary it with almond extract.

Snickerdoodles

This is also a family recipe, but not my family's. My mother did not approve of this recipe because it uses white shortening instead of butter. I used to sneak next door when I smelled Snickerdoodles baking. They have a wonderfully custardy taste that belies their simple ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup white shortening at room temp

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

½ cup sugar and 1-tsp. cinnamon in a rimmed pan to roll cookie balls in*

Instructions:

• Sift and mix all the dry ingredients except the sugar

• Blend together the remainder of the ingredients

• Combine dry and wet ingredients, stirring thoroughly

• Chill at least an hour. If dough becomes sticky as you work, chill remainder

• Shape dough in round balls the size of an egg yolk, roll in sugar mixture and place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets

• Bake eight to 10 minutes at 375 degrees

• Makes about five dozen

*For Christmas we dispense with the cinnamon and roll the cookies in colored sugars.

With or without the cinnamon, these are worth sneaking next door for.