Great-Grandma Dortha’s Butter Cookies
I’m never one to decorate for Christmas early (especially when you have an early December baby) — I usually wait until the first or second weekend in December to put up the trees, musical boxes and lights. However, this year is different. I’m in full fledge Christmas holly-jolly spirit! Our tree went up November 1st and I’ve slowly been replacing the prints in our picture frames around our home with winter scenes.
Next on my list is Christmas cookies! Everyone has their all time favorite cookies — chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar, oatmeal (anything but raisin, amiright?!).
My all-time favorite cookies are my great-grandmother Dortha’s butter cookies. My aunt always made batches of them to hand out at Thanksgiving growing up but now, in making our own traditions, I enjoy making these with my boys. Hopefully one of them catches the baking gene so that we can keep this recipe going!
Dortha & Logan
My Great-Grandmother Dortha was born in August of 1912 in Southern Illinois. Unfortunately I don’t know much about her, she passed away when my grandmother was only 24 and before my mom was ever born.
One thing I do know however — was having enough food or finding the ingredients to prepare food, was an every day struggle for many people during that time. I know my family was no different.
My great-grandfather Logan was a shoemaker and Dortha was a homemaker. Logan’s career eventually ended due to Rheumatoid Arthritis — so money was definitely tight. All that to say, these few basic ingredients make something that is sure to warm your heart and soul (or should I say sole 😉).
So let’s get started!
This recipe is pretty simple — remember, easily accessible ingredients that my great-grandmother could get her hands on. Here’s what you’ll need:
3 eggs
1 ½ cup of sugar
1 cup of butter
4 cups of flour
5 tablespoons of water
2 heaping teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Sprinkles (optional)
Recipe Steps
Shown in detail below.
Cream the butter and sugar then add in the eggs.
Add vanilla, water and baking powder.
Slowly add enough flour to handle the dough.
Lightly cover your surface area with flour. Rollout the dough to ¼ – ½ thick.
Use cookie cutters and transfer to a baking sheet.
Optional: Add sprinkles before baking.
Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown
First up, cream the butter and sugar then add in the eggs. I always like to break my eggs in a different dish. It’s easier to fetch out any shells that you may have dropped in!
Next up, add vanilla, water and baking powder. Once mixed, slowly add enough flour to handle the dough.
Sprinkle some flour onto your surface and roll the dough out to ¼ – ½ inches thick. Continue adding any flour if the dough begins sticking to your rolling pin.
Now to the fun part! Use cookie cutters of different shapes and sizes (roll and repeat as necessary).
Transfer to a baking sheet and add sprinkles before baking.
Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a cooling rack and store in a cool, dry place (and out of your kids viewpoint).
Like I said, these cookies are my favorite. They are light and buttery, soft and fluffy and PERFECT for not just the Christmas season, but any!
This year, make some memories with your family! Have a cookie decorating contest, or just let the kiddos make a mess (I know, I know, easier said than done) — the cookies don’t have to be picture perfect, but the memories will be!
—Chels