Sugar Cookies

Total Time: 2 hrs 42 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 in a small bowl, or onto a sheet of waxed paper, sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
• 2 in a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• 3 add eggs, vanilla and salt; mix on medium-high speed until well combined.
• 4 at low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, mixing just until incorporated.
• 5 turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. divide in half; pat into flattened rectangles and wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap. chill for at least two hours or up to a week.
• 6 preheat oven to 375 degrees f. position racks at upper and lower thirds.
• 7 on a lightly floured surface, roll out one rectangle of dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. cut into desired shapes and, with a spatula, transfer shapes to parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. chill in freezer or refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes. set scraps aside. repeat process with second rectangle.
• 8 gather up all of the scraps, roll out again. chill for 15 minutes before cutting out shapes and adding to baking sheets.
• 9 if desired, decorate with colored sugar or sprinkles. placing a baking sheet on each rack and rotating halfway through the baking time, bake until golden around the edges and firm to the touch (anywhere from 7 - 12 minutes, depending on your oven).
• 10 transfer baked cookies to wire racks and allow to cool completely. decorate with icing, if desired.
• 11 cookies can be kept in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed or parchment paper, at room tempurature for up to three days.