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.