The Best Christmas Sugar Cutout Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr 36 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 6 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup softened butter (no margarine!!)
• 1 teaspoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• powdered sugar, for rolling

Recipe

• 1 sift together flour and baking powder in separate bowl.
• 2 in second bowl, beat together sugar and egg until it becomes lemon-colored.
• 3 add butter, orange juice and vanilla.
• 4 mix until thoroughly incorporated.
• 5 slowly begin adding flour mixture (about 1/2 cup at a time) and blend; continue until all flour is used.
• 6 form into 2 flattened rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
• 7 when ready to roll, set oven to 400 deg f.
• 8 cover baking sheets with parchment paper (can be reused from batch to batch).
• 9 sprinkle powdered sugar onto rolling surface as you would flour.
• 10 roll out one rectangle into desired thickness and cut out; place on baking sheet, making sure not to let cookies touch.
• 11 re-form scraps and roll again (may have to add more powdered sugar for rolling); continue until all dough is used.
• 12 once baking sheet is full, place into oven and set timer for 6 minutes.
• 13 depending on cookie thickness, baking time can range from 6-10 minutes, so check at the 6-minute mark to determine whether you need to bake longer.
• 14 when light golden in color, remove cookies from baking sheet and place on cooling racks or flat surface covered with parchment.
• 15 cool to room temperature and frost with favorite frosting.
• 16 if decorating, i recommend the following frosting (also appears in recipezaar under "cutout cookie decorator icing":.
• 17 1 cup confectioners sugar.
• 18 2 tsp milk.
• 19 2 tsp light corn syrup.
• 20 1/4 tsp vanilla.
• 21 food coloring.