Today is National Sugar Cookie Day!

Today is National Sugar Cookie Day, so let's look at some interesting information about this familiar cookie which I learned on NationalToday.com. They say, "the Moravian settlers, German Protestant immigrants who founded Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the 1700s, are credited with creating the first American sugar cookies. Initially called 'Nazareth Cookies,' these treats were baked in the shape of a keystone, symbolizing their new home state. Their culinary traditions brought forth a simple yet versatile cookie which has since become a beloved staple in American households, evolving into the sugar cookie we know and love today."

National Sugar Cookie Day Activities

• Break out the mixing bowls and whip up your own batch. If you’re really fortunate, you already have a top-secret sugar cookie recipe devised by your great-great-great grandma which has been passed down in the family for generations. However, if this not the case, you can still find hundreds, if not thousands of recipes on the web. In the event you’re not a baking connoisseur or don’t have time to make these sweet treats from scratch, you’ll find ready-to-bake cookie dough in the refrigerated section of most local grocery stores. For a boost of flavor, add a smidge of cinnamon on top of the cookies before placing them in the oven.
• Host a cookie exchange - What better way to enjoy freshly baked sugar cookies than with your closest friends and family? If you don’t mind divvying up your creations with others, a cookie exchange is a great means to share recipes and garner new ideas for future batches of these sweet delicacies. You can even invite your colleagues for brownie — or should we say cookie — points at work (just don’t tell them that’s why they were included).
• Create a tasty new dessert featuring sugar cookies - How do you make a sugar cookies taste even more scrumptious? By combining them with other delicious treats, of course. Use the crumbs from the cookies to make a crust for cheesecake or enhance your traditional brownies by adding a layer of sugar cookie on top. Smash them up in ice cream, dip them in pudding — the flavor mash-ups are endless.
• Why We Love National Sugar Cookie Day -                        They’re easy to make - Requiring only six ingredients — flour, butter, baking powder, eggs, sugar, and vanilla — sugar cookies are so simple to make a five year old could do it (with parental supervision, of course). There’s not a large amount of effort involved aside from mixing together the basic components and shaping them into marble-sized, round balls. Should you decide to add cookie cutters to the mix, you’ll need to promptly acquire some baking skills, as the process tends to be slightly more complicated.
• They’re fun to decorate - Whether you prefer the classic look of plain sugar cookies or enjoy unleashing your inner Picasso by meticulously painting designs on each individual one, the possibilities are boundless. Some opt to embellish them with holiday-themed accouterments, while others are more concerned with taste than aesthetics. For a unique twist and added flavor, adorn them with chocolate chips, sprinkles, or frosting. There is no wrong way to decorate a sugar cookie!
• They are a household staple - You may or may not have your pantry stocked with the essential ingredients at all times, but most of us have fond memories of the past that include some variation of sugar cookies. With such a delectable, classic flavor, it’s impossible not to love them!

How do you like to make and decorate sugar cookies? I love the idea of adding cinnamon on top - and do like reducing the sugar a bit to make them more of a butter cookie.

You will find more about National Sugar Cookie Day from National Today at this link.