Because then I could take credit for these cookie. This is one of those recipes that only exists on a old smudged recipe card in the little blue gingham book of my moms, and she has no idea who Norma is. (Ironically enough, I also have a blue gingham book to hold my recipe cards. I've never thought of that before.)
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My grandmas' names are not Norma and to my knowledge I don't have any cousins, aunts, great aunts, or second cousins named Norma. Who was she then?
She was a cookie master.
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I really do not like crunchy sugar cookies, and these sugar cookies are to blame for that. All growing up, mom would make these soft sugar cookies and frost them with a light green cream cheese frosting (I'm not sure why, but is was always green). When I think about a sugar cookie, it is always first a green Norma sugar cookie.
Oh, thank you, Norma, whoever you are, for your wonderful sugar cookies and somehow getting the recipe for them to my mom years ago.
Because these cookies are soft, you cannot roll the dough out and cut it with fun cookie cutters. They are just meant to be round. This recipe also make a lot of cookies which makes it the perfect go-to cookie for parties and outings. Take extra care not to over bake them! They are best when they actually don't have any color, because they for sure stay soft then.
Norma's Sugar Cookies
Makes about 6-8 dozen
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of Tartar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and the sugar. Beat until very light in color and fluffy, about 10 minutes if using a hand mixer or on high in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes.
2. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at time, making sure it is completely mixed after each addition. Then add in the oil and the vanilla and beat for one more minute until fully incorporated.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, cream of Tartar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once and stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough until it is firm, for at least a few hours or overnight.
5. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°. Place round scoops of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the dough with the bottom of a drinking glass until it is about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, taking extra care not to over bake them! When they are finished, they really shouldn't have any color. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes then gently move them to a cooling rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting or leave them unfrosted, Enjoy!
I believe I have an answer as to who Norma is. The in-laws and I think she is my mother-in-law, Norma Gnewuch. She lived in Sidney, NE for a couple of years and she was a really good cook. In fact, her cinnamon rolls recipe is similar to the one you posted in your blog as well. The only thing that threw me off was baking with butter instead of oleo. She would have used oleo instead of butter.
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