Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

These tender, delightful cookies are surprisingly addictive; I found myself eating a couple... then grabbing just one more... then sneaking another one.

Sometimes you want a cookie with all the chocolate, nuts, caramel and other goodies that you can cram into the dough. Other times, simplicity rules the day. And the rich flavor of these seemingly plain cookies definitely shines.

These are perfect for picnics, barbecues, afternoon tea, or any other occasion you can think of... especially "just because"....

Hungarian Sour Cream Cookies
(slightly adapted from a recipe in The World of Jewish Entertaining by Gil Marks)

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar; stir in egg, sour cream and vanilla extract.  Stir in flour and baking powder.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes until cookies are set but still very pale. Remove to a rack and cool completely.

Makes about 52 cookies.

You should visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related.  And be sure to look for her monthly articles about holiday foods and traditions in the Washtenaw Jewish News.