Every family has a cookie. Maybe it’s your grandmother’s sugar cookies with the icing that never quite sets right, or a recipe scribbled on a card so old the corners have gone soft. Whatever yours is, there’s something about baking cookies in December that makes a house feel like Christmas before a single light gets hung.
If your family doesn’t have a cookie yet — or if you’re looking to add one to the tradition — here’s a simple, forgiving recipe that’s perfect for little hands to help with.
Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Instructions:
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
Wrap the dough and chill for at least an hour — this is the step everyone wants to skip, but don’t. A cold dough holds its shape.
Roll out on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick, and cut into whatever shapes make your family happy — stars, trees, or the same lopsided snowman your kids have made for years.
Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden.
Let cool completely before decorating. Impatience is the enemy of good icing.
A few tips from folks who’ve made a lot of these:
Chill the dough twice if your kitchen runs warm — once before rolling, and again after cutting, right before baking.
Don’t overbake. These cookies should stay pale and soft, not brown and crisp.
If the icing’s a little uneven, let it be. Some of our favorite cookies on Main Street over the years have been the ones with too much sprinkles and not quite enough icing to hold them down.
Bring a Batch Downtown If you find yourself with an extra dozen this season, consider setting some aside to share — with a neighbor, a volunteer at the festival, or a family member who’s spending this Christmas without someone they love. A cookie, like a wreath or a warm hello, is one more small way we keep the light shining for each other.
From all of us at Christmas on Main — happy baking, and see you on Main Street.