Just Simply Holly

Several years ago I found a cookbook that had belonged to my late mother-in-law. I have always enjoyed baking and was checking out the different recipes for cookies and breads when I stumbled across a recipe that has forever changed my life. Yes, I know how silly that sounds, I mean, how can a recipe change someones life, right? Well, that’s what you are about to find out!

First, let me give you the recipe, then maybe you’ll understand a little better why, when you make these cookies, you’d best have a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer or an Eclectrics® Mixer, they are durable mixers that handle a recipe this large with ease!

Melt In Your Mouth Sugar Cookies
3 cups white sugar
2 cups lard
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon salt
7 cups all-purpose flour

Besides the above ingredients, you need to make sure you have at least one VERY large mixing bowl, two is even better!
Directions:
Cream sugar and lard together in the large bowl. Mix in vanilla and eggs until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the above mixture and then mix in the buttermilk. Dough is going to be very soft, so it needs to be chilled about 2 hours.
After dough is chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). I line my baking sheets with parchment paper, it works awesome and keeps the cookies from sticking to the baking sheets, it also makes clean up a breeze!
Lightly flour your counter or area where the cookies can be rolled out. Roll out the dough until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place cut cookies onto your lined baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, remove the cookies to cool. Some people use wire racks for cooling, I just line an area of my counter or my kitchen table with aluminum foil, which also works well.
After cookies are cooled, frost and decorate to your liking.

Now you see why I said you’d need a good Hamilton Beach® Mixer for this recipe. With the size of the recipe and the thickness of the dough during mixing, most basic hand mixers don’t handle the recipe that well. I’ve burnt up more than my fair share of mixers with this recipe.

As to why this recipe has forever changed my life, my family has come to depend on receiving a LARGE plate of these cookies from me every year as a Christmas gift, and I am almost always required to take them to any special holiday gatherings that I go to. If you make these cookies I can guarantee you that they will be the hit wherever you take them!