::Sugar Cookies:: & ::Frosting::

Hey everyone! I had a recipe request for these and since it is holiday season and people are getting their Christmas baking done I thought I'd share it with you all. This is the sugar cookie recipe that I use everytime when I make sugar cookies. I'm just sharing the recipe; as I haven't made them recently to share with you pictures of the steps; but I trust that you will do just fine and the recipe is very easy to follow! I will be starting my Christmas baking this weekend or early next week; so stay tuned for those recipes! Happy Christmas baking! Oh..PS...this sugar cookie recipe is one that I use for cut-outs and decorating; not just the roll in sugar one (if you know what I mean)! :) Enjoy!

::Sugar Cookies::

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder

Put butter out to soften. Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well. Chill the dough for a couple of hours. It's too sticky to roll out when it's warm and just mixed. Take a 1/2-1/2 cup of flour and sprinkle it on the area where you'll roll out the dough.
Put a little flour in your hand and rub the outside of the rolling pin.
Take about half the dough out of the bowl an stick the rest back in the refrigerator to keep it chilled. Roll with the rolling pin to make a big circle with at thickness of 1/4 inch. Use shapped cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper! :) ) 
Bake for 10-15 minutes. The cookies should be set and very lightly browned at the ges but still light in color
Let cookies cool before frosting!
(I barely let my cookies even get light brown at the edges; this makes them very soft!)

::Butter Cream Frosting for Sugar Cookies::

1/2 cup butter
about 3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
2-3 tbsp. milk
food coloring
sugar sprinkles

Let butter soften. Cream the butter and powdered sugar putting in about a half cup in at a time. Add the vanilla and mix. Add around 1 Tbsp. of milk and mix. Continue adding a tsp or so until the frosting is the right consistency for spreading.
Add food coloring as desired. If wanting to use sprinkles; sprinkle right after the cookie is frosted so the sprinkles will stick!


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