Rosebud’s Sugar Cookies

I had an unexpected surprise the other day.  I was emptying out my email and found an old one that my mother had sent me a couple of years ago.  Attached in the email were a few more recipes from my late grandmother that my mother had found.  It was like finding a buried treasure.  This is the same woman who introduced her Butter-Topped White Bread, her Wheat Bread, what I believe is the world’s best Cinnamon Roll, and a Sticky Bun that will make you want to cry.

So I made these cookies.  I thought it was a nice nod to my grandmother as she equated baking with love.  She baked because she loved it-my mom always talks about some of her favorite childhood memories spent in the kitchen watching my grandma bake, and this experience forever imprinted in my mother.  And because of these positive experiences, my mom carried on the tradition of baking a lot when I was a child.  So, thankfully, it trickled down to me…and now I’m able to spread her love to you, too.  Very fitting.

You can frost these cookies with whatever your favorite frosting might be.  I used this frosting for these cookies because I remembered that it had a nice, creamy consistency with a lot of buttery flavor.  (Why not?  It’s Valentines Day.  Treat yourself.)

Rosebud’s Sugar Cookies

Servings:  Make about 16-18 cookies

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting and sprinkles, of course

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

2. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat the butter  and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3.  Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.

5.  Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

7.  Once firm, place the dough on a flat, clean, lightly-floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thick.

8. Using the cookie cutter of your choosing, cut each cookie out individually and place each one on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing each cookie about 2 inches from one another.

9. Bake the cookies until lightly golden around the edges, about 5-8 minutes.  Cool the cookies completely before frosting.

Source: A Curvy Carrot original, courtesy of my late grandmother, Rosebud.