Yes, it’s 90 degrees outside, or at least it will be by the time noon rolls around. However, by the time you start thinking about making cookies, holiday time will be staring you right in the face, telling you that you’re a terrible cookie maker.
Avoid the shame. Do what I do. Make the dough now, keep it in the freezer. Then, become a cookie maker extraordinaire!
One year, I made cookies for all three of my children’s classes – that’s 65 cookies AND hand painted them red and green….with sparkles. I must have been out of my mind.
Sugar Cookies
2 cups of pure, snow white sugah
1 ½ cups of butter (softened)
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract (optional)
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
Frosting:
Blend confectioner’s sugar and milk until it reaches the consistency you like. Paint onto the cookies with a paint brush. A few drops of food coloring in different shades will give a festive look to your cookies.
Directions:
Cream together softened butter and sugar in a large bowl. Then, beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder until combined. Add to creamed butter/sugar mixture a cup at a time.
Chill dough for at least one hour. (Or it will be too sticky and annoying to handle and you will curse the cookies.)
When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Let dough soften, then roll it out on a floured surface. You can use cutsie little cutters or simply a juice glass with a floured rim.
Place cookies one inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. For best results, use parchment paper. Yes, it is expensive, but your cookies will not stick. Please, learn from my frustrations.
Bake 6-8 minutes, let cool before removing from cookie sheet.
If you freeze the dough – wrap it in freezer paper NOT ALUMINUM FOIL. Again, learn from my mistakes. You may also be able to wrap it in wax paper, but I have not tested that personally.
belindaegreen says
Oh yum! My favorite cookie! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear ya, but I’m not a huge fan of chocolate chip. So sue me! 😉 Sugar cookies have that certain taste much like homemade shortbread cookies. You have options, with sugar cookies. You can add many flavors that make them taste different. Yup you got it, I love vanilla ice cream too! It’s all about the different tastes and flavors you add. Oh yeah baby!
Thanks for sharing Dahlia! I’m saving this recipe. It’s an easy one. One question though, Is pure snow white sugah different from regular sugar? Just asking… 🙂
Belinda
Dahlia DeWinters says
Hi Belinda!! Pure snow white sugah is just regular sugar, but with your own touch of personal magic, LOL! Seriously, though, it’s just regular sugar. I think you will really like the recipe!
ELF says
Looks like something I COULD make…if I wasn’t so lazy…and afraid of the danger of having all of those cookies around to tempt me, lol. Thanks for the recipe!