Holiday Survival Recipe: Sugar Cookies

Here is my sugar cookie recipe...a basic for any holiday through out the year and most perfect for using your favorite cookie cutters!  This is a must have recipe for every mother.

Use royal icing and your favorite sugars and sprinkles to decorate.  My favorite for Christmas is snowflake or mitten shaped cut-outs, piped with white icing which gets dipped into non-colored sugar crystals.  (Tip:  My go to is Epicure's Decorating Sugar.  It makes your cookies gorgeous and there are no artificial colors!)

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (I use Epicure's aluminum free BP)
1/2 tsp. salt
20 tablespoons butter (2 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp. milk
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla (real vanilla please...it makes a difference!)

To make:  Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.  In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until very fluffy. Add and beat egg, milk and vanilla.  Gradually stir the flour into the butter mixture until well blended and smooth.  Chill if necessary before rolling.  Roll out 1/4 inch thick, cut out shapes and bake for 6-9 minutes.  Cool on rack after one minute.

Makes 2 dozen good sized cookies.