Welcome to the month of love, also known as February. For this month’s edition of “In Purrsuit of Flavours,” we’re once again joining our ‘fur-bulous’ chefs and hosts, the Weim boys over at Easy Rider and kitties from Canadian Cats in sharing a sweet for a sweet. recipe. Click on their links to check out other sweet treat recipes.
Ok Norman, you ready to start baking? Righto mum…my toque, apron are all clean, pressed and ready to go. Let’s do it!
Today we’re making a soft sugar cookie that I have made every February for over 45 years (egad, am I really THAT old?). This recipe originated from the kids’ first daycare/babysitter which I wrote down in the margin of the 1967 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I received at my wedding shower. It’s so old I’ve had to re-ink the recipe due to fading. What is really surprising to me is not how long I’ve been making these cookies but that this tasty treat is not chocolate, though the cookies could be topped with a chocolate frosting.
Before my kids even started school, I would make these heart shaped cookies for each of the kids at the daycare, each one frosted with their name on it. Try frosting “Tiffany” on a small heart shaped cookie. 😳 Even after they were past the daycare years, I still made these cookies, sans names.
Ok, let’s get started. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Thoroughly cream 1/2 cup of shortening with 1 cup of sugar. Add 1 tsp. of vanilla, 1 egg and beat until well mixed (*Note: I frequently use almond extract instead of vanilla for more flavour and well…because I love the taste of almond extract in cookies though the original recipe calls for vanilla). Blend in 3 cups of flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 3 tsp. baking powder and then add 1/2 cup of milk. Roll out on a floured surface and cut shapes with a cookie cutter. Place on a GREASED cookie sheet, about an inch or so apart. I can’t stress the greased part enough. Trust me, I learned the hard way so benefit from my idiocy experience. Bake for 6 minutes or until cookies are set, depending on the thickness of your cookies. If you bake until the tops start to turn golden, they will be crispy (like the large hearts since those needed to have a bit of structure to avoid breaking when frosted). Once baked, allow to cool and then frost with your favorite frosting spread. I just use a simple confectioners frosting or you could spread some hazelnut spread on top. Normally I just spread across the entire cookie but decided to jazz them up a bit with some piping for today.
Wow mum, those look yummy! They are sweet dear boy but sadly you cannot have one. I’ll give you some chicken jerky instead, maybe you’d accept that for all your obstruction in the kitchen help in the kitchen? Why this dog MUST lay in front of the stove or sink and underfoot whenever I’m in the kitchen remains a mystery.
So there you have it. Easy-peasy and always a favorite. If you like a soft sugar cookie, these are just the ticket.
Umm, where’s my piece of jerky, mum?
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Yum!! And isn’t Norman the cutest chef ever!
Thanks, he really is a cute chef and quite the helper in the kitchen. I never have to clean up when Norman’s there. LOL
Wow these look soooo good!! ❤️
Why, thank you! And thanks for swinging by the Ranch. We ❤️ visitors.
These look great to try for Valentine’s Day. 100% on board with you re: almond extract, love that flavor in desserts so much!
Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! It’s like a delicious gift for your tastebuds.
Chef Norman needs a show on Food Network.
Ha! That’s yet another reason why this boy probably should have an agent! 🤣
Yummy!! Somehow sugar cookies aren’t my faves, but with that icing and a bit longer in the oven with a good crunch afterwards, I might have to change my mind!! Those are qyite pr
Norman, you are like our doggy cousin, he thinks he has to be in front of the stove at all time to snoopervise any cooking adventures as done by our Auntie:)
Those are quite pretty!
Thanks, I’m not especially into sugar cookies either but these are a nice treat for occasions. Easy to make, tasty and not too overly sweet or grainy, they’ll do when you want to celebrate something special. A simple confectioners frosting does wonders to dress up even basic shaped cookies.
What a handsome sous-chef.
Those cookies sound delish! I’m glad I read this later and not earlier when I was craving something sweet… I fear I would have made then are more than I shod!
For a sugar cookie, they’re pretty darn good. As for the soups-chef, he’s pretty darn good too (even when he’s underfoot). 😍
Will be trying these… Wonder if butter works as well as shortening?
And some can be forgiven for being underfoot.
You know, I’ve never tried making them with butter so couldn’t really say but suspect they’d be quite nice and tasty. I mean what doesn’t taste good with butter?
Being underfoot is a small thing in the big picture that I’m willing to accept.
You are presenting a recipe that doesn’t contain sunflower seeds????
Norman – I cannot get over how perfect you look in a chef’s hat! You’ve found your calling!
Thanks! He is pretty perfect and as sweet as they come.
Who doesn’t love a GOOD sugar cookie!!! thanks for sharing. Mom says she will give them a try.
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Sugar cookies seem to be the universal reminder to everyone about how to enjoy being a kid again. 😍
These are new to me, but they look and sound delicious. I think the local kids would like them so will be trying them out when next in baking mode….first, from experience, shutting all canines out of the house to avoid going base over apex at the paws of a lurking hound.
Oh yes, kids do love these cookies…whether they’re 7 or 70! I can’t fathom cooking or baking without Norman right there to snoopervise. Sam must have showed him just how to do it up proper. Truth be told, I’d give just about anything to have him underfoot again. 💔
I like how you “imbedded” a word on each one. And I really like the red frosting…mmmmm.
Thanks, I have a kit with a couple of large shapes with letters for embedding. It’s cool to customize cookies for any event. Red frosting is tricky…too much coloring and your mouth has that metal taste. Blech.
Ahh, I wondered how you did that so perfectly.
It makes it fairly easy, you slide the letters into tracks. Brilliant idea.
Great looking cookies. Soft cookies are preferable but my cookies are hard as a rock….a bit much heat. You know….just a minute more in the oven. Maybe not that many minutes…..mol
Shoko
Love Norman’s expression…..he must get away with a lot with that expression of his….
I’m in the soft cookie fan club myself. Don’t like cookies that crumble into a pound of crumbs all over. Guess that makes me kind of lazy.
Norman has some of the cutest facial expressions and always looks adorable. But I’m only ‘slightly’ biased. 😆
Those cookies look delish! We don’t understand why you couldn’t get a little taste of the finished product, Norman. Did you at least get to lick the bowls and spoons?
No bowl or spoon licking, just a nice tasty piece of chicken jerky. Y-u-m.
I love soft cookies!
Soft is preferable to me too. Less crumbs to sweep up. 😆
You are just the bestest helper ever, Norman, and those sugar cookies look fabulous! Bummer you didn’t get to try one but jerky is pretty yummy too!
Thanks, Molly. It wasn’t too hard to convince him. Norman will take jerky over just about anything!
OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH! I’ll take three please…okay four..um…is there IScream too???
Norman, my pal, you are a little more gifted in the height dept., could you do some counter surfin’ and grab me one??! 😋
Ma says to stop tryin’ to gets you in troubles…..sigh.
You are lookin’ mighty handsome in your chefs gear!
Kisses,
Ruby ♥
Norman was very close to scoring a couple for you but got distracted by the jerky (thank goodness!). 🍪🦴🍪🦴🍪🦴 Some digital treats for you and your mum, sweet Ruby.
Huh, milk! That was unexpected. They sound and look yummy!
Thanks. I think that’s the secret sauce that makes them soft.
So THAT’S what you mean when you say you ‘always like to have a little toque’ when you’re baking. Sorry, my bad. 😈
Haha! So so clever, aren’t you. Have a cookie, mate.
I’ll take a cookie anytime!
🍪 🍪 🍪 for you and a few treats for Max 🦴🦴🦴
he knows if you place yourself in the way of uprights, they might trip and drop cookies
Is that it? He’s the most optimistic dog I’ve ever seen then. 😊
Norm just looks to adorable in his chef’s hat! He can bake for me anytime! The cookies look very good too!
Thanks, they’re very tasty and (depending on how much frosting you use) not as sweet as most sugar cookies.
OH but I love frosting! LOL!
Me too…quite guilty. These guys are especially good with a great cuppa. ☕️
Oooh yes, coffee makes anything better. 🙂
Especially frosted cookies!
😋
Years–no, decades–i got my mother a Betty Crocker cook book whille we were living in New York. It had 2 sugar cookie recipes, one called Mary’s Sugar Cookies. In the last edition I looked at, years afo, it had changed to Fancy sugar cookies. It also used almond extract, and substituted some or all of the sugar with powdered sugar. I never decorated them, they did not need it. They were soft cookies, funny what a difference different, but the same, sugar made.
Sugar cookies have a soft spot in many of us of, ahem…a certain age. 😁
I love sugar cookies very much and the icing sold me. They are most beautiful too. You’re so talented Norman. Did mom help? Probably a little.
Have a woof woof day you two. My best to your mom. ♥
Norman is the steading force in the kitchen. And by steading, I mostly mean impossible to move out of the way. 🤣
I’m not one for soft cookies, but these do look good! Don’t most dogs have to be underfoot ALL. THE. TIME? At least the first couple of years. As Ducky gets older and more emotionally secure, she’s been happy to settle on one of the four dog beds around the house.
Ha! Good point. I’d probably Be lost without the obstacle course but because my kitchen is the size of a nickel I’d be grateful if he’d lay at the dining room doorway. 😀
The beauty of these cookies is they can be made crispy by baking a few minutes longer. I suspect Norman will be a constant nearby companion in the kitchen forever. Funny though, he lays far enough away from me in other rooms but must be right underfoot in the kitchen.
This Norman really is a star. Unlike most chefs I watch on Food Network, Norman has a chill vibe. He’s confident without being smug. And handsome, he’s got that in droves.
As for those cookies, they would go perfectly with my java.
Happy Wednesday
They are particularly good with Java. And Norman says thanks for the nice words.
Delish!
And hugs to Norman.