The best & only SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE you'll EVER need!

I can't remember where I first got this recipe. But I have documented that we were making it back in 2005 & we haven't used ANY other recipe since, because this one is just SO GOOD.

Sick of flat, hard, crunchy sugar cookies?  This recipe is for you!
Want sugar cookies that are fluffy, soft & stay moist like the ones from the bakery? This recipe is for you!

The great thing about sugar cookies is they're an EVERY KIND OF HOLIDAY treat!

The first pics I have of our family making this recipe

2005

↑Evan {age 4} Helping make Christmas Sugar Cookies!

Here is the recipe I've been using for almost 10 years & the recipe EVERYONE that every has tried one of our cookies asks for over & over & over again.

Pin, Print or Bookmark this page,people! ;)

→This recipe I have usually makes around 12-15 cookies, but I usually double or triple it!
→Also It's best to know you'll need a little bit of time for the dough to firm up in the refrigerator after you make it, an hour is fine but a lot of times I make the dough the day before I want to roll out the cookies.


What You'll Need:

1  Stick of butter, softened
¾ C. Crisco
1  C. Sugar
2  Eggs
3  T. Milk
½ t. Vanilla extract
3  C. Flour
1  t. Baking Soda
½ t. Cream of Tartar
½ t. Salt

Then of course, a little extra flour for your rolling surface, a rolling pin {or I've used an empty clean wine bottle before!, cookie cutters {or if you just want round cookies a drinking glass will do!}, and a baking sheet.

What You'll Do:

When ready bake these cookies at 350°F.

{*I've always used a Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer, because it's all I've ever had! But I'm sure you can mix by hand or stand alone mixer just fine!}

In a big bowl:
Mix the Crisco, softened butter & sugar together.
Add in the eggs, one at a time.
Add your milk & vanilla.  Set Aside

In another big bowl:
{I like to mix these with a hand whisk to get them all incorporated.}

Add all your dry ingredients:
Flour, Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar & Salt

Mix the dry mixture in with the butter mixture, little bits at a time until completely combined.

Refrigerate until firm, an hour is all you need (it helps the mixture be more workable & less sticky when you roll your dough out).

Flour your rolling surface, your rolling pin, your cookie cutters, your hands.. seriously, flour everything.  Expect and embrace mess...especially if you have little helpers.

↑Kendall {age 2} helping with making Halloween Sugar Cookies

Roll out the dough, adding flour to the dough until you get the right texture, as in it stops sticking to everything.

Then place on an ungreased baking sheet & bake.

↑ My husband being a photobomber.

↑ Our most recent batch this Halloween!

Our prime bake time is anywhere between 5-9 min. Really.
You WANT you cookies to not be too golden, just starting to look firm, this is key to getting soft cookies, do not over bake!

Then cool & frost!

I don't have an amazing recipe for frosting, I've found we like the jarred stuff the best, we just separate it & add food coloring for all the colors we desire!

↑We even make 4th Of July Sugar Cookies!

EAT, SHARE, ENJOY!

*TIP* To keep them soft and delicious for days keep them in an AIRTIGHT container!

You're welcome.

Look at the mess, not as a mess, but has a delicious memory made :)
Take a pic!

TieDye Jack-o-Lantern shirts!

We originally saw this craft in a Family Fun magazin back in 2008.

This is a photo of my older kids {now 10 & 12} when we first made them and they were 4 & 6!  I couldn't find a pic of them BOTH in the shirts. 

The shirts we made in 2008:

Six years later & my daughter thinks she can still fit into hers :D

This fun, festive shirt couldn't be more simple to make.  Here are step by step instructions,

What you'll need.

-White shirts, can be old ones with stains a great way to repurpose!

-Orange cloth dye - RIT works well and is cheap.

RIT Sunshine Yellow I used.

- Rubber Bands
Cheap on Amazon!

- Black fabric marker, PermanentSsharpie will work too.

The Fabric Markers I have.

1. Get your white shirt & rubber bands together.

Decide if you want one big pumpkin in the middle of the shirt or many little ones - customize to you liking.

Pinch a small bit of the fabric the smaller the smaller circle you will get.

(the white ring will be left where the rubber band is wrapped)

Wrap the rubberband tight around the fabric.

I bought this big bottle of Sunshine Yellow RIT.  Directions said to use half the bottle in 3 gallons of hot water.

Place shirt in bucket (or sink)  and make sure the shirt is completely submerged.

 Follow directions on your dye. Mine was to soak for an hour. Also to stir often to make sure the color is evenly distributed.

After soaking the dye needs to be rinsed off. 

Remove rubber bands 

Wash according to dye instructions.

Then dry.  Once dry you're ready to add the Jack-O-Lantern faces!

We used a fabric marker.
MAKE SURE to add cardboard or paper as a barrier inside the shirt so you don't bleed the marker through to the back.

We also added some bat stamps.

And green pumpkin stems with fabric paint.

  Our finished product

{NOTE} Our colors ended up a little uneven because instead of stirring the fabric while it soaked... we went outside to play. We like the look we ended up with, but if you'd like a more even orange -- remember to STIR! :)