Oma’s Best Ever Sugar Cookies

I can imagine when my great grandmother traveled at the age of 3 across the ocean from Germany and landed on the shores of Texas, it must have been a fearful, yet exciting adventure.  I wonder what kinds of “things” her family brought with them from the old country?  If it were me, my recipes would not have been left behind.  This recipe for sugar cookies is so simple and basic I just know it had to have come with my Oma and her family to be enjoyed here in America. I suppose her mother may have baked batches of this cookie as a comfort in their new surroundings.

My imagination could go on and on about what items were precious enough to bring to America with them but I won’t dwell on that today.  This  recipe for sugar cookies has the most simple ingredients that we all have in our kitchen – all the time.  It’s delicate and slightly sweet but versatile in that you can add any flavoring you choose.  I generally use vanilla as the recipe calls for but using almond extract or anise extract works equally as well.  It’s one of those recipes where the dough is rolled into a ball and flattened with the bottom of a glass, dipped in sugar.  I used spiced vanilla bean sugar to add a touch of flavor, but you can use any flavored sugar or just plain sugar for smashing your cookies.

This year I participated in another Food Blogger Cookie Exchange where I was able to make a donation to an animal rescue organization and receive a bunch of delicious cookies too!  You might have already guessed I baked and shipped Oma’s sugar cookies to my recipients. In this season of hustle and bustle I am striving to keep it simple and that’s exactly what this recipe is.  Not fancy or decorative just plain good!

I received yummy Christmas Sprinkle Cookies from Sue @Palatable Pastime, rich, dark Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Christmas M&M Cookies from Kelly @Kelly Lynn’s Sweets & Treats. Tricia @FriendsFoodFamily went above and beyond and sent several dozen cookies which arrived just in time for me to share with a house full of company during Thanksgiving week!  Her Chocolate Biscotti with Dried Cherry and Pistachio were our favorites ~ perfect for dunking with our morning coffee.

If you’re looking for a delicious, simple, old-fashioned sugar cookies recipe here it is!  Tis’ the season for baking so get busy and bake a batch or two of these to enjoy or share ~ you choose!