Southern California is the last place I’d expect to see snow in December, and definitely not in the middle of a July heat wave. But a magical place exists where all sense of reality is juxtaposed with anything and everything mythical, modern and in between…Universal Studios Hollywood. Getting there safely and sanely is a monument of mythical patience as well!
Long ago in the era of Knight Rider, the A-Team, and Air Wolf, my Folks’ wonderful friends the R.’s braved a trip to Southern California with their three children and myself…all under the age of 12. For a kid, it was a magical summer trip to visit epic places like Disneyland, Universal Studios and the San Diego Zoo. I honestly don’t know how Mr. and Mrs. R. didn’t leave one of us on the side of a desert highway. Can you imagine the shenanigans and squabbling from four minions in the back of a truck slide-in camper for days on end?! It makes this middle-aged momma’s head hurt. (I think I need to send Mr. and Mrs. R. a long-overdue medal…or a box of cookies!)
When the opportunity to go back with Son B presented itself several years ago, I remembered my fun experience and hoped my minion would have a similar one too.
Nowhere else in the United States can you be face-to-face with long-neck dinosaurs and then whoosh off to Hogwarts, via the seaside village of Amity, the San Francisco subway, a New York City street, and down the Simpson Family’s Springfield.
Since the Universal Studios is an actual working studio, sets from many films and series shows have been and are filmed here. The town square featuring the clocktower from the Back to the Future movies has morphed over the years. Courthouse Square was once known as Mockingbird Square before the BTF movies. The courthouse scene of 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird was filmed here. The Bates Motel from 1959’s Psycho movie, however, still looks the same. Newer movies such as Steven Spielberg’s 2006 War of the Worlds plane crash set is here. That B-747 is huge! The Voice television show is also filmed here for reality TV show junkies like me to enjoy.
Stage 20 
Courthouse Square 
The Bates Motel 
Plane Crash from War of the Worlds 
Jaws is still prowling around from the early 1970’s. That stinking shark still scares me! Since Great White sharks live to about 70 years, this guy has to be thinking about taking a bite out of his AARP card. His teeth look great though!
Sadly, one set you won’t see on the Universal Studios backlot tour is Ron Howard’s 2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In the movie, it’s here where Martha May Whovier and Betty Lou Who compete for the Whoville Lighting Contest; and where the Mayor cheats by awarding Martha May with the trophy.
The set was demolished earlier this year to make way for newer movies. The constant upkeep on this Christmas favorite was more than the cheerful Whos could bear. Can you imagine repairing and repainting the two million linear feet of styrofoam making up Whoville for the past 20 years?!
Since we know the grumpy guy in green didn’t have anything to do with the Whoville demo, our hearts can grow a size more as we can look fondly back on our Universal Studios movie set experience. These Cindy Lou Who’s Soft Sugar Cookies and watching once of the three Christmas shows featuring sweet Cindy Lou and the grouchy Grinch will help too!
The basis of this sugar cookie recipe is pretty standard, but the result is an extremely soft, and slightly almond-flavored cookie. This sugar cookie is a breeze to bake up. There’s no refrigeration or rolling out time involved. Iced with buttercream, these sweet delights are sure to warm the sorest of hearts with their festive sprinkle adornment. Feel free to color and decorate as I did, or go for different colored cookie combinations.
On this Christmas, to quote Lou Lou Who…“I don’t need anything more for Christmas than this right here. My family.”
PrintCindy Lou Who’s Soft Sugar Cookies
Soft and sweet almond-flavored, these sugar cookies wrapped up in pink and green are sure to make the grinchiest of hearts melt.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: About 40 Minutes
- Yield: About 12 to 15, 3-inch Cookies 1x
Ingredients
For Sugar Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1–1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Food coloring, if desired
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt (kosher, table or sea)
For Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 to 4 tbsp. hot water
Food coloring, if desired
Sprinkles, if desired
Instructions
To Prepare Sugar Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with parchment, Silpat liners, or leave ungreased. Set aside.
Using a standing or hand-held mixer, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, almond extract and food coloring if using. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, until just combined. Scoop dough using an ice cream scoop or #20 disher onto prepared pans about 2-inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are puffy, set and slightly brown on the edges. Place cookies on wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
To Prepare Frosting:
In a medium bowl, using a standing or hand-held mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tbsp. hot water until a spreadable consistency is reached. Add hot water in 1 tsp. increments to thin the frosting to desired thickness. If using, beat food coloring into frosting with water. Frost cookies and decorate with sprinkles, if using.
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