To get us into the holiday spirit this week, I thought I’d share a couple of cookie recipes with all of you! 
The first recipe is my all-time favorite sugar cookie recipe. My mom made these for me growing up, and they are THE best.
I have no idea where she got the recipe, so I can’t give credit to anyone (except her, of course!)
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Makes 4 dozen cookies (if you do it properly … I goofed a few times, so I only ended up with 3 dozen!)
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 cups flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Whatever frosting you’d like to use (I like cream cheese frosting)
Directions:
- In a large bowl (not your mixing bowl), combine baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour.
- In your mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat together. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix again.
- Add dry ingredients and mix together.
- Refrigerate the dough overnight (I just left mine in the mixing bowl and covered it with Saran wrap).
- The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Find a large flat space to work on. Flour the area liberally (This is SO key, or else the dough WILL stick. Trust me on this!), and flour your rolling pin.
- Roll the dough out (I didn’t do it all at once. I split the dough into thirds) until it’s maybe 1/2 an inch thick (you don’t want it too thin).
- Use a cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass, if you’re like me!) to cut out your cookies.
- Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Pay attention to the cookies. Depending on how big yours are, they may cook for more or less time. They will be done when the edges are just starting to get slightly browned.
- Frost and enjoy!
Can I just say again, be sure to flour your work space liberally. I had plenty of frustration on Saturday when my dough kept sticking to my countertop!
But if you do them properly, I promise you will love them.
They are soft and sweet, but not too sweet.
Without the frosting, you might be surprised at how not sweet they are. But that just means that they are the perfect compliment to some sugary sweet frosting! 
———
And for those of us who are too lazy to go to all of that work of mixing, refrigerating, and rolling (which is me, 95% of the time!)…
Pumpkin Spice Cake-Cookies
(I have no idea who to give credit to for this recipe, because I’ve seen similar recipes on about a hundred websites and blogs!)
Makes close to 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 box of spice cake mix
- 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
- Approximately 1/4-1/2 cup of water
- 1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cream cheese frosting (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Use a sifter to get out all of the lumps in the cake mix. Then add the pumpkin and 1/4 cup of water. Stir together. If the batter still seems too thick, add another 1/4 cup water. Batter should be thick but still batter-like (if that makes any sense
).
- Add chocolate chips and stir gently to combine.
- Using a melon scoop (or a spoon), scoop balls of batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for anywhere from 13-18 minutes. Check on the cookies occasionally. If they bounce back when you touch the tops, they should be done!
- Let cool and then if you want to, frost with cream cheese frosting.
These cookies were a hit with my Bible study group. Just be warned: they are cake-like cookies. They will not have the same texture as a typical cookie. But they will be spongy balls of spicy and sweet goodness!
Question for ya …
What is normally your favorite type of cookie?
Typically, my favorite is soft chocolate chip cookies like these.
Do you have a different favorite cookie around the holidays? What is it?
Mine would definitely be the above sugar cookies.
Any cookie recipes you want to share? Link up!
I like chocolate chip cookies too, or M&M cookies.
Emily @ Perfection Isn’t Happy recently posted..A Christmas Survey
I don’t think I could ever pick a favorite cookie. I love them all.
Those sugar cookies really are so good! Back in college, my apartment neighbor’s mom gave him some to take back to school with him after the holidays. I was skeptical to try them when he said they were made with sour cream…but they were incredible! Gotta have the frosting, though.
Angela @ Health’s Angel recently posted..Handmade Gifts
I know, the thought of sour cream initially freaked me out, too. But man, they are awesome!
Those sugar cookies MUST be good because sour cream is involved. Can’t wait to give the recipe a try. Let’s just hope I don’t eat most of the batter beforehand =)
Jessie recently posted..What I Ate Wednesday
I actually LOVE sugar cookies at Xmas time
Andrea @ Andrea Out Loud! recently posted..Some Normalcy, Christmas Decor, & A Sick Brown Dog (Again)
I’ve made those pumpkin spice cake cookies a few times before, and they sure are yummy! I love any soft sugar cookie with a good frosting… That being said, I better try out your above sugar cookie recipe!
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries recently posted..WIAW #64: Chicken Pot Pie Pizza
I was JUST talking about sugar cookies at work this morning and how I need a very specific texture to enjoy them. This looks like a winner!
Yellow Haired Girl recently posted..Back to Normal
soft chocolate chip cookies hands down. I like the look of those sugar cookies though. Sour cream huh? That must be what gives them the special texture. Innnnteresting. Love!
Cinnamon @ eatpraytri recently posted..Hair+Face=Bad (giveaway!)
The sugar cookie recipe came from Marilyn Carney of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Thanks Marilyn!
Oooh, I love the looks of your mom’s sugar cookies – they look amazing! I could go for a whooole bunch of those right now. =)
amy @ fearless homemaker recently posted..Soft Molasses Crinkle Cookies
My mom wants to make sugar cookies every Christmas, and makes us all decorate them. But I hate them. Too hard and cry crunchy for my taste. Now these, look awesome. Maybe I can convince her to try a batch, Yum I love cookies with a little fluff!
Megan recently posted..Saw it. Pinned it. Did it.
Im making some sugar cookies today and Im so excited!! Although my favorite part is definitely the decorating part
:)
Kat recently posted..Peppermint Bark.
I’m totally going to make those sugar cookies sometime soon! They look amazing
Amber with Slim Pickin’s Kitchen recently posted..The 2012 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap: Butter Pecan Biscotti
Girl! Those cookies look amazing!! So delicious. I neeeeed to make them I think!
Angela recently posted..Tis the Season!
Love sour cream sugar cookies. Sticking can be a problem for anyone and even worse if you live in a high humidity climate. In addition to flour to prevent sticking, keeping the work surface cold is very helpful. Use a large well sealed plastic bag of ice cubes to cool the surface before rolling. Also putting the rolling pin in the fridge an hour b4 working the dough is helpful.
Thank you so much for your helpful tips. I actually did a google search and found very similar tips, but I forgot to mention them in the post. Thank you again!