sugar cookies

with holidays approaching don't we all need a

good sugar cookie recipie handy?

i made these for the willows this morn.

i might have eaten a few or 10.

no one was looking.

sugar cookies

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 c. sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 1/2 t. vanilla ext.

4 1/2 c. a.p. flour

1 1/4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

cream butter and sugar using whisk attachment of electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy....about 5 minutes.

on low, add in eggs one at a time...then add vanilla.

separate bowl: whisk together dry ingredients

using paddle attachment on mixer, slowly add dry ingredients until well incorporated.

wrap dough in plastic wrap and refridge for 30min to 1 hour. (they say longer sometimes, but my house is kind of chilly right now, so it seems to work out just fine).

Preheat oven to 350. Roll them out to desired thickness (1/4 in is good). Cook for 10 minutes, unless doing really tiny circles like i did...only 6-8 minutes.

Let cool and frost!

royal icing

4 large egg whites, room temp

1 lb. confectioners sugar

beat egg whites and sugar using whish attachment of electric mixer on low to incorporate sugar into whites.

increase speed to high for 7-10 minutes until icing is thick and shiny

divide into bowls and add desired food coloring.

WARNING:

makes a rediculous amount of cookies.

before we had kids Ed and i would make them for Christmas gifts. he would get maybe way to into it while i ate too much sugar and got really hyper...bounced off the walls giggling, and then we were left with an absurd sugary mess all over the kitchen and table tops, and yet still we could not muster up the strength to frost them all. so just be careful...they can be dangerously fun and awfully messy but oh so worth it.