The Best Rooled Sugar Cookies
(thanks to Jill Saunders who posted this on Allrecipes.com)
1 1/2 c. butter softened
2 c. white sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours (overnight is best!).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 in apart on ungreased cookies sheets. If desired, sprinkle decorations on now.
3. Bake 6-8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. If desired, decorate with icing or frosting.
Tips from experience: Take the time to refrigerate dough completely. Otherwise, it is sticky and messy and not very fun!
With the extra dough from the cookie cutters, roll into a snake shape (log), then curve the top around to make a candy cane cookie (these may take longer to bake).
Let the kids try their hand at mixing and rolling the dough as well as cutting out the cookies and decorating. Even young children can do a lot more than we usually give them credit for.
