In my eyes, Grandma Velma was the Christmas cookie queen. Cookies like Peanut Butter Blossoms, Tea Time Tassies, Nut Puffs, & Lady Locks were would be stuffed into Tupperware containers & cardboard shirt boxes that filled the extra fridge she had in her garage. Then there were “Grandma Cookies”.
On the surface, Grandma Cookies were pretty simple & mild in flavor compared to their counterparts. The round vanilla cookie was pillowy soft in the middle, topped with sprinkles, & not cloyingly sweet. You could eat a bunch without really thinking about it, especially with a cup of coffee.
A Christmas Cookie Recipe Lost
For years after my grandma passed away, no one could find the recipe. I scoured the internet trying to find something, but the closest I ever got was a ricotta cookie, which grandma’s daughters swore up & down was not it… so I gave up. But recently, digging around in some old photos & docs, I found it! Well, sort of. The recipe was half-baked, with no instructions & a short list of vague ingredients like “two teaspoons of baking powder for every cup of flour”.
So, I got to work doing some recipe testing, and I’m happy to report that after some trial, error, and more than a dozen eggs, I figured out the right ingredient ratios and steps! I even came up with another variation of the cookie that I enjoyed, though it still doesn’t beat the original. In the coming weeks, I have a personal goal to share a few of my favorite holiday cookie recipes with you, and I’m starting with these Grandma Cookies. They’re very easy to make, & could be a fun cookie to have kids help decorate, too!
Grandma Cookies Recipe
By Bake Gia BakeA simple vanilla cookie with a pillowy soft center. The original is dipped in glaze & topped with sprinkles, but you can mix it up by rolling in granulated sugar prior to baking instead. Enjoy them this holiday season on their own or paired with a cup of coffee.
Prep time: | Cook time: | Total time:
Yield: 24 cookies
Cookie Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (95 grams) soft/room temperature shortening
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 4 cups (480 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Glaze Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use clear extract if you want to keep your glaze bright white)
- Sprinkles (I used Trader Joe's Christmas Sprinkle)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchement or silicone baking mats.
- With the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the eggs & sugar together on high until thoroughly combined.
- Add in the shortening and vanilla, and continue to beat on high until thoroughly combined.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and add in flour and baking powder until dough just comes together and no streaks of flour remain.
- Scoop and roll into 1/2 inch balls, then place on parchment. You can either use a cookie scoop if you want to be precise or just eyeball it with your hands
- Bake in the oven for 13 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown & lift easily off the parchment/mat. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.
- In the meantime, whisk together heavy cream, powdered sugar, & vanilla extract to create the glaze.
- Once cookies are cool, dip each one into the glaze & top with sprinkles.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge. In my opinion, they taste even better after refrigerated.