We're not even halfway through this are we? ohmigod...I am running this thing down to the wire each night, and more than once I have fallen asleep at the laptop and awoke to find some nonsense typed on the screen that was nothing more than hieroglyphics.
I've mentioned that I have two sisters, Jenny and Betsy. We were all spaced almost exactly two years apart, a testament to my dad's perfectionist nature. We all have talents in the kitchen, but Betsy is a workhorse. She can decorate a wedding cake quicker than I can RSVP to someone's nuptials. Dinner for 20? No problem for her, she can knock that out on a Monday night and still show up for parent teacher conferences. She trained in the busiest bakeries in Massillon, Ohio and later did freelance baking in the kitchen of her first home, which was far too small to take on such an ambitious project. In spite of the size limitations, she regularly knocked out thousands of dozens of cookies each and every holiday season. The most requested cookie? Her cutouts with cream cheese frosting.
I don't consider myself a lazy person, but when I'm around Betsy I feel like a sloth. Seriously, she whipped those suckers out last year in mere minutes so that I would have some to take home to my kids. I doubt if there were any left from the time I pulled into the garage until I set my bags down in the kitchen. Before we all start patting Betsy on the back though, let me remind you-she uses refrigerated pie crusts.
She inherited this recipe from her husband's grandmother, which is the only proof you need to know that they're good. I'm halving this recipe, because Betsy's double batch version makes about 10 dozen cookies.
Gertie's Sour Cream Cutout Cookies
1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco (don't use the regular, it doesn't work)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
one egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter sugar and sour cream. Add the egg and vanilla, then slowly mix in the dry ingredients. You may need to add more flour to the dough-you can gauge this by lightly pressing your finger into the dough. If your finger leaves a clean dent in the dough and none of the dough sticks to your finger it's perfect. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.
Chill the dough for about an hour then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Place cutouts on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should be nicely puffed and light brown on the bottom.
