Ingredients:

Sour cream cookies

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¾ cup flour
• 3 tablespoon butter

Buttercream frosting

• 3 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons hot milk or cream
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 saltshaker (whole container not used)
• Food coloring (optional)
• Colored sprinkles (optional)

Steps:

1. Mix together one-half cup of shortening, one and one-half cups of sugar, and two eggs in a large bowl. Thoroughly mix until color is uniform across the bowl and the individual ingredients are not distinctly showing from each other.

2. Once mixed, stir in one cup of sour cream, one-half teaspoon of baking soda, one-half teaspoon of baking powder, one-half teaspoon of salt, and two and three-fourth cups of flour. Thoroughly mix.

3. Let the mixture chill for at least one hour. While the bowl is in the fridge, start making the buttercream frosting.

4. Cream three tablespoons of butter in another bowl. Gradually add two cups of sifted powdered sugar. Then add two tablespoons of either hot milk or standard cream, pouring in a little at a time until it is spreading consistently. Then add one-half teaspoon of vanilla and one shake of salt. Thoroughly mix.

5. To change frosting, mix in a few drops of food coloring during the creation of the frosting.

6. Preheat your oven at 425 degrees fahrenheit.

7. Grab a baking tray covered with a coat of nonstick spray. Use a spoon to place the cookie mixture on the tray, dropping rounded teaspoons of mixture about one inches apart. The cookies should resemble little balls at this point.

8. Once full, place the tray in the oven and watch carefully. Cook for eight to 10 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Once cooked, take the tray out of the oven and begin frosting. Frost the cookies while they are still warm. Add sprinkles.

9. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until there is no cookie mixture left in the original bowl.

Author’s comment: When I was younger my family used to call these “cream cookies” because they were afraid the sour part in the name would scare me and make me not want to try them. I’m glad I did though, because they’re really delicious and they’re certainly not sour. My aunt comes to town every year around the holidays and has me and my sisters make these cookies, which is always nice. We used to make them with my grandmother too before she passed, as this was her original recipe. Honestly, making these cookies is one of the only tangible memories I have left of her, so I’m glad it was a good one.