The best sugar cookie recipe -ever!

It’s versatile, it’s forgiving; roll it thin, roll it thick. It holds its’ shape. Most importantly, it’s delicious… It makes a good amount, and it doesn’t call for something ridiculous (when trying to homestyle mass produce), like 1 egg yolk. You don’t have to wait for it to chill! What else could you want?

As found at TwoSistersCrafting.com:

Cookie Dough

• 2 cups Sweet Cream Salted Butter (4 sticks), softened
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tbsp. Vanilla
• 4 tsp. Baking Powder
• 6 cups Flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add butter and sugar to your mixer.  Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed.  Do not over-mix.
3. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until completely incorporated.
4. Add Baking Powder and mix.
5. Mix in the flour two cups at a time.
6. Mix until combined (finish with spoon and hands if necessary).
7. Lightly flour a surface area.
8. Roll out dough on prepared surface.
9. Cut out desired shapes, and place on cookie sheet. (Re-rolling leftover dough pieces until used up.)
10. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or 7-9 minutes if thicker.
11. Allow to cool before decorating.

For Two Sister’s icing ideas, click on the link above. However, for my classic cut-out sugar cookies, I went old school; straight out of Better Homes & Garden’s Royal Icing circa 1968. (Just how dad used to make them.)

Royal Icing

3 Egg whites, room temperature

1 pound sifted powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla (we skipped this for the white icing, but added it for colors)

1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

Mix until smooth. Add desired colors. Decorate until your hearts content.

Optional: Food coloring, dragées, colored sugars (varying in size), other decorative edibles.

Also optional: invite friends and family over to decorate.