When I was newly marred I stopped by my grandma’s house for a quick visit. She showed me all of her recent projects and family photos. And of course, there were treats. There were always treats ready at her house. This particular day she shared a Simple Vanilla Cookie Recipe with me.

I came right home and made my own.

From that point on, these decadent cookies have been my “go to” recipe.

Not only are they delicious, but they are ideal when you have run out of chocolate chips, oats or even butter.

When I was raising seven kids, I could easily run out of any one of those ingredients at any given moment.

For a quick Sunday treat, for a neighbor or just for some sugary goodness, grandma’s Simple Vanilla Cookie Recipe was the answer.

SIMPLE VANILLA COOKIE RECIPE

Heat oven to 350*

Cream together until smooth:

1/2 cup soft shortening

1 egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Gradually add:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla or almond extract (I personally prefer almond extract)

Blend until well incorporated.

Place spoonfuls on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Add a whole walnut or pecan to the center of each cookie dough. (Grandma would always add walnuts that had grown on the HUGE walnut tree in her backyard. SO good!)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly brown on the bottoms.

Serve with a large glass of cold milk, hot chocolate or a nice cup of tea.

This Simple Vanilla Cookie Recipe is a delightful Christmas treat. Fun to add to your Christmas baking list, for sure!

On a side note: If you are a regular reader of my blog, you KNOW that I only use real butter in my recipes. BUT, this is my one and only exception. I have tried making theses cookies with real butter and the are NOT the same. The shortening is just right for this cookie recipe.

I hope you enjoy and keep it in your recipe file for years to come.