Help needed - Sugar Cookies

[Tweevil]

Here ya go. I just made these today and they are so yummy and sweet.

2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) margerine or butter softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
Gradually beat in flour mixture (batter will be stiff).

Roll rounded teaspoons into balls and dip in sugar (I use colored sugar).
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and slightly golden at edges.
Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Remove and cool.

Sometimes I add small candy like baking M&M's if I have them.

This is like the one I make but I use more sugar, all butter, and bake on 325. They are perfect cut out cookies and have the taste of a nice shortbread.

 

[RunDanceSkate]

Butter 1/2 cup
Shortening 1/2 cup
Cream of tartar 1/2 tsp
baking soda 1/2 tsp

Someone told me you can substitute Baking Powder for baking soda and cream of tartar, because that is basically what baking powder is, a mixture of the two with a bit of starch thrown in?

Thanks for your help!

The baking soda will work without the cream of tartar. It doesn't need any acidity to work, just use a short tsp.

Baking soda = baking powder plus acidity (tartar)


Shortening is 100% fat
butter = 80% fat, 16% H20, and 4% solids

So to go from 0.5 cups = 2.875oz Shortening
2.875 x 0.8 = 2.3ozbutter = 0.29 cup of butter (or just over 1/4 cup)
2.875 x 0.16 = 1/2 oz water

I would use 1/3 cup butter and a tsp of water.

 

[wdwtweets]

If you didn't want anyone to discuss the circumstances surrounding your need for a recipe, then why didn't you just simply ask for a recipe and not go into the very specific details?

I apologize for responding when I did not have a recipe to share.

I still hope that things work out for your daughter and that she enjoys what's left of her Home Economics class.

 

[ReneeA]

Here ya go. I just made these today and they are so yummy and sweet.

2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) margerine or butter softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
Gradually beat in flour mixture (batter will be stiff).

Roll rounded teaspoons into balls and dip in sugar (I use colored sugar).
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and slightly golden at edges.
Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Remove and cool.

Sometimes I add small candy like baking M&M's if I have them.

I've used this recipe and it's great.

I have a cousin that got married and moved to Montana. I'm not sure if you are in a similar situation, but in order to get to town, she has to get in the car and drive a half hour. Not something I want to do, nor would I want my 15 year old daughter doing. I also am a fairly busy person and don't always have the time to spend doing such things last minute. I say make a recipe with what you've got on hand and attach your recipe as planned. If the teacher wanted it done as directed, she should have given you a week or so to get the supplies and get it done. 2 days is not enough, IMO. I also would make it clear that you would have done it as directed if she had given you more time to prepare. Maybe that will make it easier for the class behind you DD's.

 

[minkydog]

Oh, heck no. I have never had any luck making homemade sugar cookies. However, I have GREAT success with that sugar cookie mix that comes in the sealed bag in the cake section of the grocery store. I think it might be made by Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines. You can make drop cookies(basically what you described) or roll out cookies. They're easy and they taste good.

Best of luck to your daughter. I took two full years of home ec in high school and I didn't really learn to cook until AFTER i got married at 24. However, I can sew nearly anything and I will be happy to tell you how to tell the difference in a Chippendale and Louis XIV furniture.

 

[Sorsha]

I've used this recipe and it's great.

I have a cousin that got married and moved to Montana. I'm not sure if you are in a similar situation, but in order to get to town, she has to get in the car and drive a half hour. Not something I want to do, nor would I want my 15 year old daughter doing. I also am a fairly busy person and don't always have the time to spend doing such things last minute. I say make a recipe with what you've got on hand and attach your recipe as planned. If the teacher wanted it done as directed, she should have given you a week or so to get the supplies and get it done. 2 days is not enough, IMO. I also would make it clear that you would have done it as directed if she had given you more time to prepare. Maybe that will make it easier for the class behind you DD's.

Not quite a half hour drive, but about 15 minutes, and the roads are icky... snow and freezing rain - yuck. DD can't walk anywhere from her school, except maybe the wheat field behind it.

What part of MT did your sister move to, and is she enjoying a Montana winter?

 

[englishteacha]

As an English teacher, but yet, a teacher, I can't imagine sending home a recipe with 2 days notice and expecting my students to all be able to make it. One of my students has no oven because it broke and they can't afford to fix it right now! I would commend a student who tried to do an assignment I had given but due to circumstances had to substitute. Too often I hear, "I couldn't do that. Sorry." (I asked my students to either read a news article or watch the news over Thanksgiving. I heard the most creative excuses, I assure you!)

 

[Sorsha]

Oh, heck no. I have never had any luck making homemade sugar cookies. However, I have GREAT success with that sugar cookie mix that comes in the sealed bag in the cake section of the grocery store. I think it might be made by Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines. You can make drop cookies(basically what you described) or roll out cookies. They're easy and they taste good.

That's the kind I like to use too.

 

[Sorsha]

If you didn't want anyone to discuss the circumstances surrounding your need for a recipe, then why didn't you just simply ask for a recipe and not go into the very specific details?

That's my fault, and, I admit, a failing of mine.

I am always very wordy, and usually go into WAY too much detail.

I think I felt that in order to explain why I needed to make a sugar cookie recipe, with very specific ingredients, and without ingredients I didn't have, I needed to give some backstory. But I probably rambled on too much.

That's just me though!

Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[Sorsha]

The baking soda will work without the cream of tartar. It doesn't need any acidity to work, just use a short tsp.

Baking soda = baking powder plus acidity (tartar)


Shortening is 100% fat
butter = 80% fat, 16% H20, and 4% solids

So to go from 0.5 cups = 2.875oz Shortening
2.875 x 0.8 = 2.3ozbutter = 0.29 cup of butter (or just over 1/4 cup)
2.875 x 0.16 = 1/2 oz water

I would use 1/3 cup butter and a tsp of water.

WOW! I am really glad you did all that figuring and I don't have to! Just looking at it makes my head hurt!

Thanks so much for all your help! I will be sure to write down this info.

 

[java]

Ick cream of tartar in Sugar cookies! Never ever have I used that. I do have a tub of it as I needed it for some other recipe- just a tsp. And now I have the rest sitting around because really it isn't used often in things that I cook.

Maybe one of the neighbors has some? Do you have a baking neighbor. I have my go to neighbor- she's actually the one that lent me the cream of tartar that I have in there now!

And I love the substitution ideas- she can just add that onto the recipe. I think that wins a Home Ec bonus! She couldn't make it the way it was because out of stock item so she substituted into a cookie anyway without said ingredient.
Good Luck.

 

[Rora]

OP- I hate to be the one to suggest this (I'm a teacher!!) but do you think the teacher would even know the difference between your sugar cookie and another kid who used her receipe?

To be honest, I wouldn't even send the note unless this woman has an impeccable palate and can taste every ingredient in the cookie. But, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry! Good luck!

 

[yoopermom]

Another teacher here, whose DH is just back from hunting outside of Kalispell, and we live far from a grocery, too, so think this is unreasonable for her to expect you to do this on short notice. And I've NEVER used cream of tartar in a sugar cookie recipe!

Terri

 

[3boymthr]

You've gotten some great recipes. I have another one that I use from the Pillsbury bake-off cookebook that also has cream of tartar in it but lemon extract instead of vanilla. It's actually an excellent recipe.

I think you're fine to substitute the recipe. WTH is the teacher thinking - this time of year and in the economy budget certainly is tight for most people. When you attach the alternate recipe indicate on the note that you didn't have the money or time to go out and buy the ingredients on such short notice. I would also indicate that if she marks your DD down in her grade because you insisted your DD substitute with a slightly different recipe that you will be addressing the issue of lack of sufficient notice on a budget affecting school assignment with the principal.

 

[RNMOM]

I agree with you completely that children need to be taught to think on their feet. If you can't do one recipe, don't let that stop you, find another. By any chance is this teacher elderly? (btw, so am I, well, almost )
I dislike inflexability in people.

Here is the recipe I have used for about 20 years. It is called a Spritz cookie but I use it for my sugar cookies.

2 1/4 C. flour
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 c margerine or shortening. I usually use margerine but you could probably use butter.
1 egg pluss cold water to equal 1/4 cup
1 tsp. vanilla.

bake at 400 degrees about 10 min. or until edges are delicately browned.

Yield: about 6 dozen. Freezes well

This is from a food processor cookbook but I usually use my mixer.

 

[clh2]

I have a DD, who is 15. She is not in any home ec classes, but I can so relate to "she needs something FAST" .

We also live in the middle of nowhere, so I dread the trips to the store to pick up this stuff.

To the OP - my one word of caution - make sure your DD respectfully works with the teacher on this situation. Can your DD bring a small container, to see if the teacher can spare some Cream of Tarter from the kitchens?

Regardless, all your DD should be figuring this out with your teacher - NOT YOU.