Sugar Cookies

I don't have a sugar cookie recipe of "my own." Honestly, the sugar cookie recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook is one of the few recipes I faithfully use just as it is written. As far as I can recall, it is much like the recipe we used when I was growing up, and I love these cookies. I thought it would be fun to take some pictures of the process as we prepared for Cookie Day and to share my favorite sugar cookies with you.

First gather your ingredients with the help of some lovely ladies, if any are available. I doubled the recipe that you'll find at the bottom of the page, so the quantities in my pictures will likely seem large:
softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, egg(s), flour, baking soda, cream of tartar

Then have a "keepin' it real" moment and take a picture of the three partially used bags of powdered sugar you're going to try to finish off:


At the wise suggestion of your husband, gather your tools:
Mixer, measuring spoon(s), broken measuring cup with handy 1/2 c mark, pitiful but still favored spatula with the melted handle, rolling pin, pastry cloth (these last two will be waiting a while, but I thought I'd include them).

Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy:


Remember you're doubling the recipe and add the second half of the sugar and cream until light and fluffy again:


Add your egg(s), vanilla, and almond:


Dump in about half your flour and get the mixer going on low:


Mix the baking soda and cream of tartar with some of the flour:


And gradually finish adding the flour to the mixer:


Once it's all mixed up...
... pop it in the refrigerator for a couple hours or until you're ready to roll it out and cut some cookies. I transferred it another bowl so that I could mix up some Big Soft Ginger Cookies, but you could also leave it in the mixing bowl.

When your dough has chilled, roll it out to about a 1/4" thick and cut your cookies. We went for simple circles and hearts this time.

Take a picture of your adorable 2 year old, if applicable.


Bake the cookies at 375' for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden.
Let cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes, then move them to a cooling rack. Frost or ice as desired.

I wanted to be sure that our frosting would be nice and firm so the cookies could be packaged for Cookie Day. I did some research and found that icing hardens, frosting doesn't. This is the recipe I used for icing our cookies, and it worked wonderfully.


The Summary - for your copying and pasting pleasure:

Sugar Cookies (from Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook)
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 c butter, softened
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cream of tartar

Chill, roll out, cut.
Bake the cookies at 375' for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden.
Cool on rack, then frost.