This is a recipe for Mimi’s sugar cookies. My grandmother’s sugar cookies were simply the best!
Her elegant handwriting.
The smell of her house.
Her dainty wrist always dripping in jewelry.
Scotch on the rocks with a twist.
Her sugar cookies.
My beautiful grandmother.
I remember walking through the door of my grandmother’s house in Gettysburg when I was growing up. The wonderful smell that somehow managed to find its way into the packages that she sent to our house in Palatine would hit me full force. The smell of my grandmother’s house.
After walking through the door and inhaling deeply, I would give my grandmother a tight hug before my eyes darted into the far right-hand corner of her kitchen.
That’s where I knew I could always find Mimi’s gigantic glass cookie jar packed to the brim with her homemade sugar cookies.
I’d look back at my grandmother and she’d nod her head towards the cookies. That was all the permission I needed. It was cookie time!
In my three years of blogging, I think I can safely say this is one of the most precious recipes I’ve ever shared.
My grandma’s sugar cookies are by no means healthy, but they are by all means delicious. My entire family adores these sugar cookies. My parents, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins… everyone.
If you make them, be sure to make them extra large. They’re supposed to be giant. That’s part of the fun! They’re big, cakey yet dense at the same time and lightly dusted with sugar.
The sugar dusting is a must as well!
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do in my family!
Mimi’s Sugar Cookies
Print
Mimi’s Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 Dozen Cookies 1x
- Category: dessert, recipes
- Cuisine: dessert
Description
My grandma’s sugar cookies are by no means healthy, but they are by all means delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup Crisco
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Cream together Crisco and sugar
- Mix in eggs
- In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt
- Slowly mix flour mixture into creamed sugar; Mix well
- In a small bowl combine vanilla, sour cream and baking soda; Add to flour batter
- Cover and refrigerate overnight
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until sides of the cookies begin to slightly brown
- Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack; Sprinkle immediately with sugar and allow to cool completely
Question of the Morning
- Do you associate a certain recipe with your grandparents? Any favorites?
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
Your grandmother is beautiful. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
When you posted a picture of these not long ago they looked so amazing. I was seriously hoping you would post the recipe, thanks for sharing!
She looks glowing. 🙂
It’s so special when you can relate something like this back to someone important in your life. Thanks for sharing.
that’s one of my all-time favorite pictures of her. it’s from our wedding and i think she looks so beautiful!
So cool and the cookies look phenominal!! And your grandma is so cute, I can definitely see the resemblence! You guys have the same smile. 🙂
I can’t wait to try baking these! Do you sift the flour before measuring or scoop right out of the flour bag?
nope! straight from the bag.
Love this post Julie! Your Mimi is adorable. I have the cookie association with my Nanny but her cookies are called crescent cookies! They’re still one of my favorite holiday treats.
Your grandmother is gorgeous Julie! Although my Gran died when I was about 5 years old, I do remember that she made amazing Scottish shortbread and Yorkshire puddings at Christmas. After she passed away, my grandpa didn’t do a whole lot of cooking, so rather than going for the cookies and Yorkshire puddings, it was the gummy bears in the desk drawer that I was after!
Awww, what a lovely post! I am planning on making my grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe this weekend. The plan is to mail them to my grandfather, but I might keep a few for myself… 😉
omg these look amazing!! soooo many recipes that are near and dear to my heart. my great grandpa used to be the king of making cream of wheat and my great grandma with her “ziggy” sandwiches (basically grilled cheese cooked in eggs). their “restaurant was always open for business!” that’s what they used to say when we slept over. oh, the memories!!
ziggy sandwiches sound great!
I actually have a very silly recipe that my grandmother always made as a kid, and still makes when I come over today. She always made us mini pizzas. English muffin, homemade sauce, mozzarella, some garlic powder and oregeno…SO GOOD. So simple, and I know its one of those things everyone can make at home, but for some reason, its always better when my grandma does it.
Your grandma is ADORABLE!!! My grandma always made noodles for every holiday. It wasn’t the same without “grandma’s noodles!” I’m going to practice the recipe so I can fully take it over. Grandma can’t cook anymore and no offense to my aunt but they weren’t the same. 😉
I was going to ask, is it possible to sub yogurt for the sour cream?
Ok your grandmother is so cute! I associate this coffee cake with my great Aunt. The family named it “Herman” because it uses a sour dough starter that is over 30 years old! She became too old to make it over the past few years so my mother and cousin had a bake off on our family vacation to see who would have to make it for family events from now on (of course mama won). It is the best! Love this post, I will definitely try this recipe for my Christmas cookies this year!
that sounds so fun!
Oh yes, biscuits and gravy. I just lost my Grandfather 2 1/2 weeks ago and I would give anything to have his biscuits and gravy one more time. Treasure those moments!
i’m so sorry for your loss, hollie. he sounds like a wonderful man! ryan’s grandmother makes the most amazing biscuits and gravy – i guess grandparents just have that special touch!
Yesterday was the two year anniversary of my Nana’s so I’ve been thinking about her so much anyway…I miss her everyday! She cooked the basic meals growing up but I do remember specifically her American Chop Suey (YUM) and Pineapple delight, which was always a dessert on Thanksgiving and Easter. No clue what was in it but it was filled with marshmallow and pineapple goodness and topped with homemade whipped cream. She was the best!! She also always used to give us ice cream after dinner (with chocolate syrup!) when she babysat us, whcih i thought was the coolest. And she ALWAYS had a pletheroa of cookies in her cabinets – Soft Batch were my fave and she also always stocked with Keebler like fudge stripe. YUM
It would also be my Grandma Cecille’s Cut-Out cookie recipe, I have great memories of making the cookies in her kitchen as a child and when we make them each Christmas it still makes me feel like she’s still here.
Just got a kitchen aid mixer, might break it in with this
Love how happy and elegant your grandma looks in the picture. I call my grandma Mimi as well and whenever I think of her home in NJ I think of blue bell ice cream for dessert every night topped with chocolate syrup. She also made the BEST split pea soup..I die it is so good!!!
My grandma always has a cookie jar stuffed to the brim with homemade cookies also! She makes chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and sugar, so it’s like cookie roulette every time we go visit, and she always makes some when she knows we’re coming cuz the first thing my brother and I do is head for the jar in the kitchen :). Thanks for sharing such a sweet memory
I love ‘secret’ recipes handed down generations. I lost my beloved grandmother 2 weeks ago, and found cooking and baking her recipes makes me feel like she’s still here with me.
Aw your grandmother is so cute 😉 I want to try these cookies. I am sure they are wonderful. Grandmas’s recipes are always the best!
This is such a sweet post! Those cookies sound delicious! 🙂
I love this! Grandmothers have the best cookie recipes! My grandma’s prized cookies were Poor Man’s Cookies. I’ve never seen them anywhere else but they’re awesome and I will be making them for Christmas this year =)
Thats so cool – it looks like a great recipe and your Grandmother sounds so charming.
My great aunt used to make the most amazing sticky gingerbread loaf cake that she would keep in a battered old tin. Sadly the recipe was lost when she passed away but I always think of her when I smell ginger – scent can be so evocative 🙂
Aw, I can just hear the adoration and love for your grandmother in your tone of writing! She is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing a special family recipe. I’d LOVE to try these as sugar cookies are my favorite.
From my grandmother, I make a special dish called Aebleskiver, (pronounced ableskeever). They’re Danish pancakes, which look like donut holes but taste like fluffy pancakes. They’re amazing and my family has passed the recipe down for years. I love making them and remembering my family through recipes.
These look great! I’m making cookies next week and might have to try these out!
What a sweet post..and what a beautiful picture of your grandmother! Thanks for sharing such a special recipe..it sounds unhealthy and delicious! 😉
My grandparents (on my mom’s side) are Ukrainian, and one of our big traditions is making pierogies every year. They are so yummy and will always remind me of my grandparents.
This was lovely.
It’s so clear through this post how much you love your grandmother! So sweet. Those cookies look amazing!! So moist and delicious. I can practically smell them just by reading this post!!
I cherish the time I spent with my grandmothers. They were both lovely women and I miss them dearly. There are so many wonderful recipes that they taught me to make. While my recipes never turn out like theirs, a few of my favorites are: nut and poppyseed rolls, chicken paprikash, and prune bread ( know it doesn’t sound good, but it really is).
Thank you for sharing such a speial recipe with us from your wonderful Mimi.
I definitely appreciate you posting such a precious recipe! Whenever I think about my grandma, I always think about her sweet potato casserole. Sweet potatoes mashed with milk and brown sugar, covered with a brown sugar and pecan crumble topping. I love it!
Your grandmother is beautiful. These cookies look incredible! I love a good, classic sugar cookie. For me, chocolate milkshakes and pancakes always remind me of times spent at my grandparents’ house when I was a kid. 🙂
Thanks for posting your grandma’s sugar cookie recipe. My grandma made a cookie that was similar. Her recipe called for a little nutmeg too. I remember going to her house and being allowed to have a cookie (or two) for breakfast. LOL. She almost made the best molasses cookies too. She was a cook for a fraternity so she had lots of delicious recipes!! I can’t wait to give your grandma’s recipe a try. Have a wonderful holiday.
yes!!!! my grandma made molasses cookies as well. they’re so delicious.
My grandma always makes the same sugar cookies that her grandmother made, so it’s a really old family recipe. They are good, but I may have to test out your grandma’s recipe this year instead! The one weird food thing that always makes me think of my grandma isn’t something she makes. A local bakery in my hometown makes this bread called “salt-rising bread.” My grandma and I LOVE it, but everyone else in our family is totally disgusted by it and will leave the room when we toast it because they think it smells so bad. We love to just eat it all the time to bug everyone 😉
thank you for sharing this family recipe!! I love sugar cookies! My grandma makes the best chocolate chip cookie and my grandpa used to make homemade cinna-buns, I haven’t eaten a cinna-bun since he passed away when I was in 7th grade. But I think you just inspired me to get his recipe and make them!
Such a sweet post! I can so relate to the smell thing. When I get things from my Mom in the mail they smell just like her house. It’s very comforting. Smells can be a very powerful memory. I bet when you smell sugar cookies you think of your grandmother and her cookies, don’t you? Thanks for sharing this special recipe.
I love this! My mom is a Mimi as well to all our kids :-).
My grandmom passed away 2 years ago, but I have so many fond memories of her. Growing up she lived with my family, so she was the one getting us ready for school each day, one of my favorite breakfast’s that she was was “Egg in a basket” She would take a slice of bread and cut a hole in the center and then crack an egg in the center. Once it was all cooked up you could break the egg, and all the yummy dippy yolk would spill over the bread!
I have a Mimi with a famous sugar cookie recipe as well! Thank you so much for sharing this precious family secret 🙂 Next to my Mimi, I’ve become the next “chef” in our family, so I’ve been passed down all of her amazing recipes. For my college graduation, she gave me a beautiful cookbook filled with dozens of her original recipes, her sugar cookies included!
I can’t wait to try your Mimi’s recipe, too! {Also, your grandmother is absolutely ADORABLE.}
Those cookies look fantastic! My grandmother makes the BEST chocolate pie. Others have tried to recreate it, but it tastes better when she makes it! 😉
This post is really beautiful and those cookies look delicious! 🙂
Those look delicious! Fluffy and moist, yum!
Your grandmother certainly is beautiful, and she sounds like she is on the inside too! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. It looks soooo yummy! I love a good sugar cookie, but I’m pretty picky about them. I’m looking forward to giving this recipe a shot! My grandmother used to always make us these “Vamino Bars” as part of our Christmas gifts. They are bars layered with a coconut crumby bottom, then a sugary cream cheese layer, and then topped with a delicious fudge. Ahhhh I drool just thinking of them. I miss her and those bars.
Oh, the Crisco. It MAKES cookies sometimes. My grandmother used to always make us chocolate chip cookies, and I would just sit there and smell her cookie jar because it smelled so good. Grandparents are the best!
i know. i cringed when i saw it on the recipe card – it totally creeps me out – but i didn’t dare substitute it!
YAY Julie, I’ve been waiting for this recipe since you first mentioned these cookies a long time ago! I was hoping they’d show up in your cookie recipe roundup, so thanks so much for posting now! Holy Crisco! I’m a little scared of that, but I know it will be worth it 🙂
oh yum! I actually love love love sugar cookies! 🙂
Those cookies sound delicious! And they’re even more special because they’re your grandmother’s recipe 🙂 Everything my grandmothers made always tasted better in part because THEY made them!
There are so many recipes I associate with my grandmother (who I ALSO call Mimi!). One of our favorites is her applesauce jello. I know it sounds disgusting, but it is quite possibly one of the most delicious things ever!
I love this post, thank you for sharing!
I always associate my grandmother with cookies as well. My grandmother is an amazing baker, everything tastes amazing and she could Martha Stewart to shame as everything is so neat and perfect looking. I think all of my grandmother’s cookies are amazing but I think the one that stands out the most that makes all of my aunts and uncles go gaga, are her cherry dainties. (My Mom has a big family and her brothers’ shenanigans are at an all time high with cherry dainties; they will jokingly hold each other back, block the kitchen so the others can’t make it in, or tell the other brothers that they have to be the ones to taste test the cookies in case they are bad, etc…)
The cherry dainties are simple but so amazing: icing sugar, milk, butter and coconut. Rolled up together and rolled in crushed corn flakes, topped with a piece of maraschino cherry. AMAZING.
I love that you call your grandmother “Mimi”…that was what my dad’s mom was called, same spelling too! I definitely associate many recipes and smells with my grandparents. Our holiday meals are always special because even though my grandparents are no longer with us, we still have my Mimi’s cranberry sauce, Mammaw’s cornbread dressing, and of course a ton of cakes and pies! Making these dishes each year makes it feel like they are still with us as we gather around the table.
Thanks for sharing the recipe and I hope to try it some day!
thanks for sharing. your mimi is beautiful!
Yum! These look fantastic!
I will always associate meatloaf with my grandma, no meatloaf compares to hers!