Sugar Cookies Equal Love

This weekend, I made my Grandma's sugar cookies. I had to call her to get the recipe. I know I have the recipe around here somewhere but somewhere could be pretty much anywhere and frankly, I'm not patient enough to dig around through the cupboards when there's a perfectly good Grandma on the other end of the phone line.

So I made my Grandma dig through her cupboards. I'm a stellar granddaughter, no?

But the recipe was eventually found and I ran to the store because these cookies contain exotic ingredients not typically found in my house. Like cream of tartar (I have absolutely no idea what that is) and margarine (Grandma insisted it had to be margarine... and the cheaper, the better).

My Grandma isn't on the same level as Martha Stewart by any means. She's not Paula Deen either. Or even that scary stick-thin blonde chick who always coordinates her outfits with the decor in her fake set kitchen. Once, in a moment reminiscent of the Grilled Cheese Incident** of my childhood, Grandma forgot to put the hamburger in the chili we were having for Christmas dinner.

(**Guess what ingredient my mom forgot to put in the grilled CHEESE sandwiches? Any guesses? Any ideas what she might have left out of the grilled CHEESE sandwiches????)

Okay, so now that I've completely ruined my chances of getting a Christmas gift from my mother... back to the cookies.

Anyway, my Grandma is a practical cook - a farmwoman who fed my Grandpa and her four children and whatever grandchildren happened to be around with filling food that might not make the pages of a fancy cookbook but still makes me think of her. So when it was time to make sugar cookies, I was going to make her sugar cookies, come heck or high water. And I did. They're not light or fluffy or moist, the way Martha's would turn out. These cookies are crisp and crumbly and have just a hint of something that makes them Grandma's. Maybe it's that darn cream of tartar.

Just in case you're in the mood to make cookies the way my Grandma still makes them, I'm going to share the recipe. But you'll have to check with my mom if you want to know how to make grilled cheese.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

1 c sugar
1 c powdered sugar
1 c margarine
1 c Canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp butter flavoring
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
5 1/4 c flour (or a little more or a little less, depending on what you think... according to Grandma)

Mix all the ingredients and then refrigerate until chilled. Roll into balls and then flatten onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes. Or so. Grandma says she just keeps an eye on them and takes them out when she wants to eat one.