OLD-FASHIONED SOUR CREAM COOKIES DRESSED UP A LITTLE FOR CHRISTMAS

I love Christmas cookies.  I love to make them, eat them, and even read about them.  Every year when the special cookie magazines come out I say to myself, "You do not need any more cookie magazines.  You have crates of them.  There can't be anything new you don't already have."  When I go to check-out counter, somehow those cookie magazines have managed to jump into my cart and if they want to go home with me that badly what can I do?


This year our life centers around trips to the hospital.  I don't really have the time and the energy for fancy cookies, but I still have the desire to do something. I pulled out an old recipe for Sour Cream Cookies from my cookbook.  It makes a big batch of cookies without much effort.  The recipes calls for golden raisins.  I thought I would also add some dried red cherries to make the cookies more festive.  To the sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of the cookies I added Wilton's Cake Sparkles which is an edible glitter.  I used green as one time I put red sugar in a sugar/cinnamon mixture and wasn't pleased with the resulting color.

A yummy cookie with just a little glitter for the season.  Enjoy!!!

This recipe for Sour Cream Cookies makes a moist cookie which gets better with age.  The sour cream, cinnamon and sweetness of the raisins combine for a delightful flavor.  The pop of the dried red cherries adds an additional sweet/tart flavor which compliments the cinnamon and other flavors.


SOUR CREAM COOKIES
A classic cookie jar recipe that should not be forgotten.


1 c shortening
2 c sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 t vanilla
1 c sour cream
5 c flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 c golden raisins, or to taste
3/4 c dried red cherries, optional
3 T sugar, for topping
1 t cinnamon, for topping
1 1/2 t green glitter, optional

Ingredients:  Shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, golden raisins, dried cherries, cinnamon and glitter.


In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Mix well together the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Mix well.  Add raisins, to taste; mix well. Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. I use parchment paper as it is so much easier to clean up and the cookies bake better on the paper.  Mix 3 T sugar, glitter, and cinnamon together and sprinkle on cookies. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 15 minutes.

I thought my golden raisins were a little dry so I put them in a stainer over the sink.

I ran boiling water over the raisins and let them drain. 

I put the drained raisins on a clean dish towel. 

I rolled the dish towel up around the raisins to remove any excess moisture.

In a large bowl, put the shortening and beat with an electric mixer. 

Add sugar and beat well until light and fluffy.

Beaten sugar and shortening.

Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream. 

I beat the eggs in the mixing bowl to save from having to clean an extra bowl.  Then beat all the ingredients together. 

Add the flour. Mix well.

Dough is ready for the fruit. 

Add dried cherries.

Add golden raisins.

Mix well.

Dough is ready to make cookies.

Cookie scoops and parchment paper make cookie baking sooooo much easier.

I used the middle scoop which I measured with water and it held about a heaping tablespoon of water.

Mix together sugar, cinnamon and glitter in a small bowl.

Scoop out cookies and sprinkle with sugar/glitter/cinnamon mixture.  Bake in preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes.

Do Not put cookie dough on hot cookie sheets.  The cookies will spread and not bake correctly.  Always cool cookie sheets before using a second time.

Less than half of all the cookies I baked with this recipe.

The glitter is prettier than it shows in this picture.

So moist and delicious.  Enjoy!!! 

I use the parchment paper I baked the cookies on to separate the layers of cookies when I pack them in containers.  As my Mom and Grandma said, "Waste not, want not."