Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

 

I bet you all have been wondering where I've been.  I don't have any really great answers I have just been so busy.  We had a huge family reunion all weekend and there was so much to do before it to get ready.  Feeding 40 people all weekend takes a lot of food and a lot of Costco shopping :).  Overall it was a great time.  We ate way too much and swam all weekend.  My mother-in-law even rented one of those huge blow-up water slides which turned out to be taller than her house.  I think the adults had as much fun, if not more, than the kids.  After all of that fun I was exhausted so I spent this first part of the week resting and the rest trying to recover my neglected house.  So needless to say, here I am back with an amazing cookie recipe.

As a kid, one of the local gas stations had a bakery inside.  They used to make these giant soft sugar cookies that were almost more like cake.  I loved them and for me it was more about the cookie than the huge glob of pink frosting that they used to put on top.  I would always scrape off all of the frosting and sprinkles and go right for the cookie.  When I first tasted one of these cookies it brought me back to those days of eating those soft sugar cookies.  Wether you like your cookies covered in frosting or sprinkled with turbinado sugar (like me), they are easy and delicious.

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

 

1/2 cup (1 stick ) butter softened

1/4 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

6 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, shortening and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  While the mixture is creaming, in a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients and set aside.

2.  To the bowl with the sugar and butter, add the eggs one at a time with the mixer running, mixing well after each addition.  Add the extracts and mix until combined.

3.  Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in 3 additions, starting and ending with the flour and mixing until combined after each addition.   Separate dough into thirds and transfer to plastic wrap to chill for at least and hour.

4.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut to desired shape.  If the dough becomes sticky add a little more flour and re-roll.  If desired, sprinkle with turbinado sugar before baking.  Bake for about 8 minutes or until puffed and cooked but not browned.  Let cool and frost with your favorite frosting.