AMISH BUTTERMILK COOKIES

I have recently gotten two new Amish cookbooks. Each had a recipe for Buttermilk Cookies. Both were different. When I wanted to make some cookies to take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop yesterday, I had a hard time choosing between the two. I chose Beverly Lewis' paternal great-grandmother's recipe she shared in her The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook. "Lettie Jones was the mother of nine children and cookie-maker extraordinaire. Baked with her loving touch in each cookie."  The other recipe was Emma Raber's from Holmesville, OH and was in Wanda E. Brunstetter's cookbook called The Best of Amish Friends Cookbook Collection. It won a first-place ribbon at the Malheur County Fair in Ontario, Oregon. The only reason I chose Mrs. Jones' recipe was because it didn't make as much. I will have to give the other one a try though.

Mrs. Jones' recipe made about 5 dozen cookies which was really more than I wanted to make, but I kept a couple of dozen at home and took the other three dozen to Hillcrest. I personally like the hint of nutmeg in the cookie. Everyone at the thrift shop just told me how good they were.

BUTTERMILK COOKIES

1         cup margarine or butter, soften (I did use butter.)
2        cups sugar (I used 1 cup of stevia/sugar blend.)
3        eggs, beaten
1/2     teaspoon salt
1         teaspoon baking powder
1/2     teaspoon nutmeg
4-1/2 cups flour
1         cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease well a cookie sheet.

Cream butter and sugar together til smooth.

Add beaten eggs and blend.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl with a whisk.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk to the mixture. (I always start and end with the dry ingredients - 4 times dry and 3 times wet this time.)

Drop dough onto cookie sheet. (I used my cookie scoop. The dough didn't flatten out as it baked, so I started flattening the scoop of dough with my fingers.)

Bake about 15 minutes. (I baked mine 11 minutes. They were turning brown on the bottom and I didn't want them to burn. I left them on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing. That is what the other recipe has you do.)

Finish cooling on wire rack.