Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Tuesdays with Dorie: Grandma's Sugar Cookies

Welcome once again to Tuesday, the majestically appointed day for baking and dishing on treats from Dorie Greenspan's gigantic tome "Baking: From My Home to Yours." Today's offering is a sugar cookie morphed from Dorie's grandmother and grandmother-in-law. Since my son, like most children, is wild for frosted sugar cookies, this is the second time I've made this recipe. It's buttery and quick and sturdy enough to hold up to little hands and blobs of icing. (Sincere admission to follow: I like my sister Michelle's sugar cookie recipe better. I tried twice , really I did. Sorry Dorie and Dorie's grandmas. I'll be sure to share Michelle's recipe sometime this season.) Tonight, we'll be plating the purdy little cookies and going in for sneaky deliveries. You know- you turn off the lights in your car, pull up to the house, stealthily tiptoe to the door, quietly place the cookies on the mat, ring the doorbell, and run for your life. For some reason, it increases the cookie sharing pleasure tenfold. I love the CIA feeling of sneaking around when I was a little girl, and I still take great pleasure in avoiding being caught as an adult. Quiet Man is perfectly content to aid and abet by driving the get away car. For Dorie's sugar cookie recipe, click over to to the beautiful Kuchenlaten. Estimated cost for penny pinchers is $2.50 for about 4 dozen 2 inch cookies. (Frosting will be a bit more.)
Check out the Christmas Around the World Series Below
Coming Thusday:
Coq Au Vin and Christmas in France

67 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Loooove your beautiful sugar cookies!!

Mary Ann said...

It is good to know that these weren't the favorite of many who tried them, for rolling out. Maybe I will forgo a second round and make my go-to recipe instead. Have fun making your deliveries! They look cutsy!

Janssen said...

How LOVELY are those, even if they don't taste as delicious as your sister's. They are beautiful.

Cristine said...

I love your cookies! They look great! Like you, I prefer a different sugar cookie recipe, but Dorie's were still tasty!

Have fun with your sneaky cookie delivering. Sounds like a blast!

Carla said...

I didn't think this was the greatest recipe either, but I don't have a better one haha Enjoy your cookie sneaking! It sounds like fun.

An Apron Straitjacket said...

I love your stealthy cookie delivery method. For some reason rolled sugar cookies hate me and refuse to roll out (grrrr), so I'm EXTREMELY jealous of your beautiful cookies.

Shelby said...

I love the sneaky delivery! :) I bet Grumpy would like to be part of aiding and abetting in that type of delivery also!

Maria said...

Gorgeous cookies! I love them all but the snowflakes are my favorite!!

Jules Someone said...

Those are just lovely! Nice work.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Prudy, these cookies are so pretty - love the snowflakes, well, I love the trees too! I'll be eager to see your sister's recipe. I'm perfectly open to replacing a go-to recipe, but sometimes they just can't be beat! How fun to do the covert cookie ops.
Nancy

Anne said...

Those look beautiful! I love the decorations and I'd love to see your favorite recipe.

dharmagirl said...

so beautiful! i especially like your elegant snowflakes.

i love the idea of a cookie stealth mission:)

Cathy said...

Sugar cookies are my family favorite. And you've decorated yours so beautifully. Love your delivery system.

Jodie said...

They look so fun! My daughter loved these as well. Anything with frosting and sprinkles! I like my go-to sugar cookie recipe better than this one as well. Any way I can get on your cookie mission route? :)

gigi said...

I'm like you're son, I love my sugar cookies frosted! Yum, yum.

I love the sneaky deliveries and I love it when I get surprized as well. Such fun family traditions. Becareful out there in the night.

Marjie said...

Your cookies are pretty and festive! I have little patience for making cookies, because I need to make at least 20 dozen to have them last more than an hour.

Debbie said...

Your cookies look great. I noticed many of the bloggers had a hard time with rolling these out. I have a sugar cookie recipe from Doubleday Cookbooks that I've used for years. I'll be making that and posting it. Sugar cookies are just sooo good!

Cathy said...

Oh, to be a lucky beneficiary of your cloak-and-dagger cookie missions, Prudy! I love your trees, and your snowflakes are particularly magnificent. I can't wait to see your sister's sugar cookie recipe -- I thought this one was great, but I'm more than open to one that is even better!

Emily said...

Your cookies are picture perfect! I am always in the market for a good sugar cookie recipe. My husbands family has a "secret family sugar cookie recipe" from great Grandma Hansen (which I still need to acquire) that I here rant and raves about! Making sugar cookies coats my whole house in flour and leaves me pulling my hair out sometimes . . . I need more counter space . . . then I think it would be a more peaceful baking experience! Happy baking!

Sihan said...

oh these are lovely! and why do you have to be so sneaky about the cookie distribution? haha.

Anonymous said...

My Jack wished I would have frosted his especially when he saw me looking at yours!

MK and Co. said...

They're beautifil! If I lived by you I would be begging for a sneak cookie drop off at my house. I have to go to the market and I've just added butter, sugar, and cream cheese to my list after seeing your post. Can't wait to make them! Thanks Prudy!

Di said...

I love frosting on sugar cookies. Both the trees and snowflakes look great. And I love the description of your cookie deliveries. =)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful cookies...you are coming to my house on delivery, right? Good, I was hoping you were. LOL. Lovely job on these, really...very lovely.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Your sugar cookies came out beautiful. I would want mine frosted too.

Tanji said...

The cookies look beautiful. My aunt's sugar cookie recipe has almond extract in the cookie and the frosting and the cookie only used powdered sugar. They melted in your mouth. Totally addicting! When I make them they always get messed up. I'll have to ask you for advice this year. :)

chocolatechic said...

Oh, they are beautiful.

kimberly salem said...

they're so pretty! love your decorations :) the sneaky deliveries sound fun:)

Michal said...

i can't wait to make sugar cookies. i have the same snowflake cookie cutters, but i save those for the lemony shortbread cut-out cookie recipe. did i get that from you and heidi? i don't remember anymore, but i know it's delish.

Amy said...

What beautiful cookies! Wow!! Love love the decoration ideas!

Hugs.. Amy

Marthe said...

Your cookies look amazing!! I had some trouble rolling them out and can't wait to see your sister's recipe!

vibi said...

WOW! Soft pastel turquoise is in I see, this year!
Has Martha used it lately, or perhpas the Contessa, or Betty... from Crocker!???
Anywho... it is an absolutely gorgeous colour (one I used to hate! how in h--- could I?) and to use it for your adorable snowflakes, was a great idea! Beautiful, Prudy!

Proud Italian Cook said...

Prudy, Beautiful job decorating! I'd be thrilled to look down and see these on my doorstep!

Lisa magicsprinkles said...

Beautiful! What lucky neighbors you have!

Tammy said...

I love those snow flakes. Your icing is so perfect!

Catherine said...

Oh your sugar cookies always turn out so darling. I have little patience with sugar cookies. Why have I never tried Michelle's recipe? I guess I should give her a call. =)

vanillasugarblog said...

ha ha the quiet man driving the get-away car. you are funny!
gorgeous cookies!

Leslie said...

I love these cookies and really should make them.
I never do anything decorative with my sugar cookies.
I just spread the frosting instead of piping.
I'll have to try it this year.
I wish I could run away and leave all the plates of cookies and presents on people's doorsteps instead of delivering in person. It would be so much easier.

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Your cookies look delicious. I love the color of frosting that you used on the star cookies -- I am obsessed with that color and I wish everything in my house was that shade. So cute! I may make some tonight...

Michelle said...

Oh thank you for the recipe! I love how you decorated them. Just adorable. :)

The Food Librarian said...

Wonderful job! I love your detailed icing!!

Engineer Baker said...

Those are just so pretty! I'm sticking with my standard sugar cookie recipe too, but this was a nice change.

Ellen and Tom said...

I love the colors you chose - gorgeous! And I think these are better as slice&bake cookies with a touch of spice.

hoagiefest 2020 said...

Wow! Love the snowflake ones especially! Good job!

Darius T. Williams said...

Great job here - really great job!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

Tami said...

Your cookies turned out so pretty!

How fun that you live in an area where you can give cookies away like that! You're so nice to share with everyone.

Rachel said...

Those snowflakes are amazing! And I love how you are going to be delivering them!!

anudivya said...

Never frosted a cookie before, all that sugary goodness is tempting me. The first batch of cookies look beautiful

Marie Rayner said...

Beautiful cookies Erin!!! I just love them! These were not easy to roll out, but worth it I think!

The Blonde Duck said...

Can you share Michelle's recipe before next Wednesday? :) I'm looking for a good recipe to make sugar cookies for the office party!

Sherry Trifle - Lovely Cats said...

Very pretty cookies - great job!

Anonymous said...

I love the whole stealth aspect of the cookie drop. I can picture you dressed in black lurking behind some bushes, Saran wrapped cookie plate in hand...

NKP said...

Love your pretty cookies!
Your story about the getaway car is hilarious - I wish I were your neighbour. :)

Aggie said...

What beautiful and festive cookies! Love your version of deliveries!!

Peggy said...

I couldn't wait to see what you would do with these! As usual, they are beautiful. Love the star shapes. Sounds like a lot of people prefer different sugar cookie recipes though. I've been under the weather this week, but I still plan to make these soon.

Allie said...

They all look so pretty I love to decorate cookies!

Unknown said...

Yummo! It's so good to be downloading new posts from you!

Anonymous said...

Ugh. You all made these beautiful cookies and I'm so jealous! I don't do rolled cookies. I keep telling The Husband that if he would just buy me a pasta roller, I'd shove the dough through there and magic would happen. He's not buying it. Literally or figuratively.

~Cat

Patsyk said...

Your cookies are so pretty! I just bought some snowflake cookie cutters... but, have been afraid to make the dough as it's not something I've gotten very good at over the many attempts I have tried.

Chef Jeena said...

I love sugar cookies and those xmas tree ones are so cute. :-)

pam said...

I love the blue snowflakes!

Anonymous said...

These are adorable. We used to sneak and deliver cookies, too. So much fun!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Nice looking surgar cookies!

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home said...

These a very pretty!

Leslie said...

You cookies are beautiful...do you have your sisters recipe? I am looking for a good decorating sugar cookie recipe for the holidays?

ostwestwind said...

As alway you did a great job, your cookies look beautiful.

Thanks for joining TWD and baking with me

Ulrike from Küchenlatein

Honeyed Hashette said...

Love this post and the CIA experience! You are too funny!