Recipe: McCall's Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies and Lemon Sugar Cookies

OLD-FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES
AND LEMON SUGAR COOKIES
Source: McCall's Cookie Collection, 1965
Makes about 6 dozen

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup soft butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPLNG:
1/4 cup sugar
raisins or blanched almonds (optional)

Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well combined.

With rubber scraper, form dough into a ball. Wrap in waxed paper or foil; refrigerate several hours, or overnight.

Divide dough into 4 parts. Refrigerate until ready to roll out.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

On well-floured surface, roll dough, one part at a time, 1/4-inch thick.

With floured, 2 1/2-inch round or scalloped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Using spatula, place, 2 inches apart, on prepared cookie sheets.

Sprinkle tops of cookie with sugar. Place a raisin or almond in the center of each, if desired. Reroll trimmings, and cut.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Remove to wire rack; cool.

VARIATION:

LEMON-SUGAR COOKIES
Make cookie dough as directed above, omitting nutmeg and vanilla extract. Add 3 tablespoons grated lemon peel and 2 teaspoons lemon extract to dough along with sour cream. For topping, lightly brush unbaked cookies with lemon juice; sprinkle with sugar. (You will need 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar in all.) Bake as above.