Sugar Cookies

Many thanks to Aunt Nan for passing along Grandma's cookie recipe!

Christmas Candycanes, Mittens, and Stockings

Jim's Birthday/Valentines' Day Hearts

Ingredients:

1 c. real butter, softened

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

2-1/2 c. flour

Preparation:

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Toss the soda, cream of tartar, and flour together and add, mixing well. Divide dough into halves, flatten into thick rounds, wrap in waxed paper, and chill just enough to handle easily. 

2. Preheat oven to 350º. Roll out dough on floured surface, using just a little flour and a sheet of waxed paper on the top, to about 3/16" thickness. Cut out shapes and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Either sprinkle with plain or colored sugars before baking, or frost when baked and cooled. 

3. Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cookies do puff and spread a bit. Makes about 3-4 dozen medium cookies. 

** I usually double the recipe. Sometimes I use lemon in place of the vanilla and almond for Easter or Spring cookies. Or you can add 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled, to the dough. 

Icing:

2-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. whipping cream

Mix together. Add food coloring as desired to smaller dishes of frosting. You want the frosting thicker for piping than for spreading. Frost as desired, using decors to make garlands, candles, and ornaments on Christmas trees, stripes on Easter eggs, etc. Let set until frosting is dry, then store in tight container with waxed paper between layers. Best after the butter mellows the cookies out for a day. Sometimes I bake them ahead, then freeze them, unfrosted, to thaw and frost later. They don't freeze well after frosting, but they do keep well.

Real butter is a MUST for flavor and texture.

For a crispy but melting VARIATION, substitute Mazola corn oil (I was told it must be Mazola, and have never ventured to try any other) for half the butter, and use just the 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Form the cookies into small balls and flatten with glass or cookie stamp dipped in sugar. Sprinkle with more sugar, and bake 7-9 minutes. I love this variation made with 1-2 tsp lemon extract in place of vanilla. Do not frost these.