What's Cookin': Tea Time Cookies

My kids rarely ever sleep during "nap time". I'm lucky if they're even quiet, actually. And because of the lack of sleep, they tend to go downhill in the afternoon. So I usually try to make sure I have some kind of snack on hand to throw in their direction. For one, to keep them busy, and two to keep their blood sugar up so that I don't want to sell them to the circus by the time daddy gets home. I call this afternoon snack "tea time" because it makes my old soul happy.

I found this recipe on the back of the sugar bag, with the name "Old-Time Soft Sugar Cookies". I thought that was a mouthful so I'm just going to call them Tea Time Cookies. They are a really easy cookie to make, with few ingredients, and turned out delightfully tasty. They are like a simplified version of a Snicker Doodle.

Tea Time Cookies - makes about 5 dozen using a 1 tsp measure
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 C buttermilk (or, 1 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar with 3/4 cup milk poured over and allowed to sit for 5 minutes)
1 tsp vanilla
2 C AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Topping:
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cream together shortening and both sugars. Mix in egg, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl; stir into creamed mixture. Chill dough for one hour. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Bake in 400 degree oven 7-9 minutes or until set.

Serve with tea and knitting. ;)

Notes & Variations: This dough looked more like a batter to me. Don't be alarmed if it comes out more like frosting than normal thick cookie dough. The cookies turn out fine. I'm thinking these would be delicious with a little bit of jam sandwiched between two cookies... Strawberry perhaps?