Vanilla-Butter Sugar Cookies
Country Woman
Meet the Cook: While I usually bake these cookies for Christmas, I'll also make them at Valentine's Day (in the shape of hearts, with messages written in frosting), at Thanksgiving (shaped like turkeys), at Halloween (pumpkins), etc. Children like to help out with the decorating - at least, our youngsters (11 and 9) do!
-Cynthia Ettel, Hutchinson, Minnesota
SERVINGS: 42
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 35 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- FROSTING:
- 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Food coloring, optional
- Colored sugar
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter; beat until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir together dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture until completely blended. Chill for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with holiday cutters dipped in flour. Using a floured spatula, transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
For frosting, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and milk; beat until creamy. Thin with additional milk to desired spreading consistency if necessary. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Spread frosting over cookies and decorate with colored sugar. Yield: 7 dozen (2-1/2-in. cookies).