• 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Approximately 5 cups unbleached all-purpose sifted flour
  • Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

It was Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt who said:

It is the summer’s great last heat,
It is the fall’s first chill: They meet.

Today, September 22nd, is the first day of fall or the Autumnal Equinox. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night.” The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

To say that I am ecstatic about the beginning of autumn would be an understatement. I love, love, love everything about autumn including the pleasant chill in the air, sweaters, colors like gold, orange, and burgundy, recipes like my pumpkin chocolate cheesecake, or butternut squash apple soup, chilly evenings in my pjs with a cup of hot tea.

What could be better than a cup of hot tea and one of thee amazing sugar cookies? These cookies are soft on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. I have an assortment of cookie cutters. Like dish towels, I love collecting cookie cutters. to welcome the first day of fall I took out our my maple and oak leaf cutters and created these cookies that my family has already begun to devour!

Tip: I always take my cookies out early, because cookies continue to harden as they cool!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the first five ingredients very well.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder.

Add your flour mixture slowly until the dough forms.

Pour onto a clean surface and knead a bit, adding a little extra flour if needed, and then roll out to 1/4 –inch thickness. Chill if necessary.

Cut out shapes as desired. I used my fall oak leaf and maple leaf cookie cutters! I always used the tip of a knife to make vein marks in each leaf.

Place on a baking stone or sheet and sprinkle a little raw sugar over top of each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.

Optional Glaze: You can also make a very easy and delicious maple glaze by combining a little maple syrup, a pinch of kosher salt and powdered sugar.

 

My dear friend, Lori Ferguson (author of the blog Encourage your Spouse) and I spent an afternoon creating these adorable bags for a fall party. We had such a sweet time of fellowship together. i had made my spiced nuts for that particular gathering. Today these boxes are being used to give cookies away to friends.