Everyone's Favorite Sugar Cookies

One of the cookbooks that I have enjoyed using was published in 1980 by the Twin City Covenant Women. The cover of this thick spiral bound volume shows a replica of a quilt, with each quilt square made by one of the area churches. Inside its pages are filled with classic midwestern fare, each recipe telling the name of the Covenant Woman who contributed the recipe and her home church. My copy is in sad shape because quite a few of its pages have come loose and have been tucked back inside. Others are dogeared or splattered with grease, these are the pages I use most!

The cookbook has all the usual chapter headings that you might expect. But it also has a few worth noting:

*Diet: only 2 pages of 6 recipes, 2 0f them are for granola.

*From the Parsonage: recipes from the pastors wives.

*International Cooking: mostly Swedish foods (big surprise!) but don't overlook the Taco Salad recipe at the end!

*Quantity Cooking: learn how to fry 40 chickens or make apple crisp for 400!

and last but not least

*Jello Salads: a whole chapter dedicated to this wonderful wiggly food group!

One of the recipes our family has used time and again is No-Roll Sugar Cookies, found on page 84. This recipe was submitted by both Ruth Lundstrom, Salem Covenant & Rosalyn Nosco, Bethlehem Covenant. I have never met either of these women but I have shared their recipe with many people.

Making these cookies together was a favorite childhood project for the two of you. You loved mixing the dough, taking turns dumping in the ingredients, then rolling the balls into sugar before baking, and of course sampling the dough while the cookies baked. But part of the fun has always been sharing these treats with friends!

Everyone's Favorite Sugar Cookies

(adapted from "No-Roll Sugar Cookies")

1 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the softened butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, mix thoroughly. Next, add the dry ingredients and mix until all are incorporated. Roll dough into balls, a heaping teaspoon at a time. Dip or roll each ball into sugar and place on cookie sheet, press down lightly with a glass. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy a dough ball while you wait!