Sugar Cookie Rollouts

This is the best recipe for sugar cookies I have found.  It is the one my grandma, aunt and mom all use when they bake rollouts.  Here are some photos. I have a ton of different cookie cutters, so I make these cookies throughout the year.  Not only is the dough just wonderful to eat by itself, but they almond and vanilla flavors shine once baked.  Plus, you can use whatever frosting you like best or even better make your own.  When I am being lazy I used store bought cream cheese flavored as it compliments the almond flavor well.

Sugar Cookie Rollouts

1  1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

2  1/2 cups flour

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar (sometimes I omit this if I don't have any)

granulated sugar

Beat powdered sugar and butter until creamed.  Stir in vanilla, almond and egg.  Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar (if using).  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until firm).  (Sometimes I leave it overnight.)

Heat oven to 375 F.  Roll half the dough at a time.  You want it about 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured counter.  Cut into shapes.  Place about 2 inches apart on a ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar or wait until baked and cooled to frost.  Bake for 7-8 minutes or until just turning light brown.  Remove from the cookie sheet to a wire rack until cooled.

Sugar Cookies - Roll Out Version

There are so many sugar cookie recipes out there in the blog-o-sphere that you might ask why should I even bother with this one.  The wonderful thing about this one is that there is some additional flavor to this one that just knocks your socks off.  Plus, since these are sugar cookie roll outs, they can take as much or as little time as you would like decorating them into edible beauties.

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe, though I usually spend way too much time decorating the cookies, only to see them rapidly disappear.  I just wish these would last longer.  ;)  However, because I do like to make these so much, I also have collected quite a few cookie cutters, so now I don't just make them for Christmas, but I also use this recipe for heart for Valentine's Day or leaves in the autumn.

Sugar Cookie Roll outs

1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream the powdered sugar with the butter until light and fluffy.  Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.  Mix again thoroughly.  Add the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Mix until just combined.  Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.  This dough warms up quickly, so only remove a portion at a time while you roll out the cookies, so that it remains easy to work with.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Lightly flour a surface to roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.  Do not add too much flour while working the dough.  Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes; watch closely to adjust to your oven as you don't want the cookies to brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet.  After a minute, remove to a wire rack to continue to cool completely.  

Once completely cooled, make a powdered sugar, butter and milk frosting to frost the cookies...or you can cheat and buy pre-made icing and color with food coloring to achieve the colors you need to frost the cookies.