Recipe: Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

Yesterday was my last class party for the year, other than the teacher's birthday, my room Mom duties are fulfilled.  I can't tell you how relieved I was yesterday afternoon, this has been a major source of anxiety the last few months. I love helping in my kids classrooms, but I can not be the one in charge of it all, especially when no one else will help.

Valentine's day has also come and gone and I will blog about all our fun, Samantha's birthday, and my 12 of 12 (I am way behind), but today I am sharing my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe.

The Young Women decided for our activity Tuesday night they wanted to decorate cookies and make valentines for the less active girls. Of course I said I would make the cookies, I will take any excuse I can to whip up a batch of these babies.

This recipe came from one of my good friends in Kansas, she would make them every year at Christmas time and I was so excited when she shared the recipe with me.

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
6 - 6 1/2 Cups Flour

Cream Sugar, Butter, Vanilla, and Eggs in mixer, add Buttermilk and mix until smooth. Add in 3 cups of flour and mix again until smooth, then add in another 3 cups of flour. If the dough looks and feels too sticky add in another 1/4 - 1/2 C flour, but no more.

(In Kansas 6 cups was enough, in Utah I usually add another 1/4 - 1/2 C flour to help them hold their shape.)

Put dough in the fridge for at least an hour, I usually make mine the night before and refrigerate it over night.

When ready to roll out the cookies put 1/4 of the dough on a floured counter. (I put my dough that I am not using back in the fridge so it stays cold.) Roll out dough 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Try to get the cookie shapes as close as possible so you can get the majority of cookies on the first roll, this also helps to keep them fluffy and soft. Another reason why I do 1/4 of the dough at a time.

Place the filled cookie sheet into the freezer while the oven preheats to 375 degrees.

Continue rolling, cutting out the dough, and placing filled cookie sheets in the freezer.

I have three pans so once the oven is preheated I can have one baking, one in the freezer, and one I am filling with cut dough.

Bake cookies 7-8 minutes (depending on size and thickness) or until bottom is lightly browned.

Remove cookies from oven and place on a bread cloth to cool, this helps the cookies to stay soft and not dry out, which is so important here in Utah.

Decorate as desired, and enjoy.