Sugar Cookies

Ok--we didn't eat sugar cookies for dinner, but in my drive away from processed food, it means making more things myself, like sugar cookies and icing. I signed up to bring cookies for M's Halloween party at preschool and whipped up a batch of cookies. The biggest thing to remember about sugar cookies is that almost all recipes need to be refrigerated for at least 4 - 6 hours. I view sugar cookies as a 2 day event....make the dough on one day, refrigerate and then bake (and decorate) the cookies the next day.

Beat together 1 c butter at room temperature and 1 1/2 c sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add 3 eggs and mix well. Beat in 2 t vanilla (and 1 t almond extract if you want to, I never have...). Add 4 1/2 c flour, 1 t baking soda, and 1/2 t salt and mix well. Chill dough overnight.

The next day roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut into shapes. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven on ungreased cookie sheets for 7 - 8 minutes for soft chewy cookies. The softness or crispness of the cookies will depend on how thin you roll the cookies and how long you bake them. If you like cookies that are thin like sand tarts, roll very thin and cook for 7 - 8 minutes. If you like soft, thick cookies, roll thickly and bake 7 minutes.

Once the cookies are cooled you can ice or decorate them however you please. To make your own icing, combine 1/3 c butter at room temperature (or if you often don't plan ahead enough to get butter at room temperature like me, you can soften it by putting it an electric mixer by itself and beating until it is creamy) and 3 c confectioner's sugar. Add 1 t vanilla and 2 T water (or milk) and combine. If the icing seems too thick or thickens as you ice, just add a little more water, no more than 1 T at a time. Ice and let the cookies set before stacking (they are stackable once the icing is dry) or storing.