Soft sugar cookies

by Alison Tolbert

This is so good! The recipe has been tested by our family and oh it's so soft and yummy!

1 cup sour cream

2 cups white sugar

1 cup butter

4 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla (I like almond)

6 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla/almond. Beat for 2-3 minutes.

Add dry ingredients and mix well. Let the dough chill in fridge for 25 minutes or until firm.

Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make shapes or circles. You may have to add a little flour to roll them out so the dough is workable but remember the less flour you use the softer your cookie will be.

Bake until LIGHT golden brown about 8-10 minutes. When you take them out they will seem underdone but they aren't. Let them cool on the pan and they will be perfect and moist. It you like them harder and more crunchy just bake them a little longer.

Makes around 4 dozen.

Here's the frosting recipe I used:

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp almond extract

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

Rolo Pretzel treats

- 15 oz bag waffle pretzels (square grid)

- Rolo brand chocolate-covered caramels

- 16 oz bag pecan halves

Heat oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed cookie sheets with foil. Lay out rows of waffle pretzels on each cookie sheet (one pretzel per Rolo you have on hand).

Unwrap the chocolate-covered caramels, and center one on each pretzel. Bake for a scant 3 minutes, until the chocolate softens (it glistens a little). Be careful not to cook these too long. Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven.

Working quickly before the chocolate cools, press one pecan half into each caramel. Squish them down, so the pecan is firmly in place and the caramel is pushed down. Let turtles cool on the racks, and then store them in an airtight container. If you need to, you can set the chocolate in the refrigerator.

Walnut Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

We tried this recipe and it was sooooo good! This recipe was borrowed from Jamie's cooking blog http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/2010/12/walnut-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting.html

CRUST:

1 C softened butter

1/2 C sugar

2 C flour

1/4 C cornstarch

FILLING:

4 eggs

2 1/2 C brown sugar

2 t vanilla

4 T flour

1/2 t baking powder

2 C chopped walnuts

1 C coconut

FROSTING:

1 C butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 C powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

dash of salt

CRUST

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until well blended.

2. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix until blended.

3. Press the crust into a large jelly roll pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes.

FILLING

1. Beat the eggs and brown sugar together.

2. In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder.

3. Add the dry mixture to the sugar mixture and beat until combined.

4. Stir in the chopped nuts and coconut.

5. After the crust has cooked for the 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and pour/spread the filling on top.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to 350 degrees and bake another 5 minutes. You want it to be golden in color along the top. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.

FROSTING

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until well combined.

2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and dash of salt. Beat until it is nice and smooth...and creamy....and wonderful.

3. Spread over the top of the cooled bars.

That's it!

***NOTE: These freeze well left right in the pan. Just cover securely with tin foil and you will be set!***