Presidential Cookies 4-Ways – Mamie’s Sugar Cookies

     Since we live in President Dwight David (Ike) Eisenhower’s boyhood home, what is more appropriate than mixing up a batch of Mamie’s signature sugar cookies? The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum provided this recipe; I added frosting to some of my bite-sized cookies (tinted some of the frosting pink since that was Mamie’s favorite color), dipped others partially in chocolate and left a few plain which is the way Mamie served them.

Frosted & dipped cookies

are air drying. Chocolate dipped, frosted

cookies (vanilla w/ sprinkles, pink tinted

and plain sugar cookies

Mamie’s Sugar Cookies  3 dozen regular-sized cookies / 4 to 5
dozen smaller cookies 
1½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Additional sugar for sprinkling (I used sanding sugar* which is coarser than granulated)

Frosting:

1 lb. (3¼ cups) powdered sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

About 3 tablespoon milk

A few drops of red coloring to create pink frosting, if desired

Sprinkles

Chocolate chips – melted w/ a little oil in a double boiler

1.   Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

2.   In another bowl, cream butter, add sugar slowly; cream (or mix) until fluffy. Stir in well-beaten egg yolks and vanilla extract. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the heavy cream (that's what Mamie's original recipe says to do . . . but since the recipe calls for just 1 tbsp. of cream, that does not allow for too much alternating). 

3.   Chill dough for one hour, roll and cut in any desired shape.

4.   Sprinkle with sugar before baking. Bake in a moderate oven (350 or 375°) for 10 to 12 minutes (mine took longer than the time indicated in Mamie's recipe).

I added the following steps:

5.   To make frosting – mix powdered sugar and butter, add vanilla and enough milk to create a thick frosting (add more powdered sugar or milk as needed). I added a few drops of red food coloring to some of the frosting.

6.   Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler – add a little oil to make the chocolate glossy and easy to coat cookies.

7.   Frost part of the cookies; sprinkle if desired. Dip one edge of some of the cookies in melted chocolate; lay on wax paper and allow the chocolate to become firm.


*Sanding sugar is a coarse confectionary sugar. It has a sparkling appearance and is used as a decorative element in baked goods. Can be purchased in specialty stores.