Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
Yield: About 48 cookies

Ingredients
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbs milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

This recipe makes 2 logs of durable sugar-cookie dough  -- one to give and one for your family. For a gift, wrap dough in cellophane and tie ends. Put in plastic box with jars of sprinkles and colored sugar, cookie cutters, and how-to's (with reminder to chill or freeze dough until ready to use).

1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, beating until blended. Add more flour, if needed, until dough comes together and isn't sticky.

2. With lightly floured hands, divide dough in half and form into 7-inch logs. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

To prepare: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let dough soften at room temperature, about 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. With flour-dusted cookie cutters, press out shapes and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Decorate as desired. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove cookies from sheets and cool on racks. Re-roll dough scraps, cut out, and bake, using up all the dough.

Tip: In a pinch, simply chill and slice dough before baking, rather than rolling and using cookie cutters.

Stumble Upon Facebook Del.icio.us Google Yahoo Digg it