Scott's Recipe

Cookies - Sugar Cut-Out With Butter Icing

Category: Brownies, Candies, Cookies & Fudge

***Cookies***
1 1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter or margarine (butter will taste better)
1 egg
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/2 tsp real almond flavoring
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

***Butter Icing***
2 1/2 Tbsp softened butter
1 1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp cream
3/4 tsp real vanilla extract

For Cookies:
1. Mix sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla/almond flavorings; mix thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients, and mix them well. Then, add dry ingredients to wet mixture, and blend well. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.
3. Once dough has been chilled for the proper amount of time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Divide the dough in half (place the other half of dough in refrigerator to stay cold until ready to use), and roll about 3/16" thick on lightly floured pastry cloth or clean counter-top. Cut with cookie cutters.
4. If you do not plan to decorate with icing, you can then sprinkle with sugar, and place on lightly greased baking sheet. If you want to decorate with the icing (recipe following), omit the sprinkling of sugar, and simply place on the sheet.
5. Bake 7-8 minutes - do not let them become brown, just lightly golden at most. Remove and cool on racks or paper.

For Icing:
6. Blend butter and sugar together. Stir in cream and vanilla until smooth. That's it! You can separate amounts of icing in bowls, color with food coloring, and you can then thin it with extra cream if it becomes too stiff.
7. If you do not have an icing bag, try putting small amounts of the colored icing into Ziploc baggies, seal, and then cut a tiny hole in the corner to squeeze icing out of. Just don't squeeze too hard, or you'll have an explosion.
8. After icing the cookies, use sprinkles, jimmies, and any other candies to decorate your little delicacies.