Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

6 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

Ahh it's sugar cookie time!  It's so easy to grab a bag of holiday cutters & have fun with your family.  My mom is a little picky when it comes to sugar cookies.   She wants a cookie that is nice & rich, not just one that looks good.  Well, this recipe past her test! They are so soft, sit out wonderful & taste delicious too.  Perfect!

So, here we go.  Just preheat oven to 375°F.  Then, cream butter, white sugar & brown sugar.  Beat for one minute.  Now, add eggs one at a time, beating good after each egg.  Mix remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl.   Slowly add flour mixture to mixing bowl, one cup at a time.  Finally, add the vanilla & beat until well combined.  At this point, one of my favorites is to just eat the dough. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

If you are rolling and cutting, prepare your surface by sprinkling it with a good amount of flour.  Now, separate your dough in half.  Take the first half and form a nice ball.  Using your loose flour on your surface, gently roll the ball around until some of the flour works into the dough. Basically, you are taking away some of the wetness & making the dough so it won't stick to the rolling pin.  Sprinkle more flour on the surface if needed, then roll out your dough evenly.  If the cookies stick, just use a spatula to move them to your baking sheet. 

Now, it's time to bake the cookies.  A perfect cookie depends on taking them out of the oven at the right time.  So, 8-10 minutes for large cookies, but only 6-8 minutes for small cookies.  As soon as the edges even hint of turning colors, they are done!

Take out of the oven & let cool all the way.  This recipe is a big one!  It will make 4 dozen big cookies or up to 6 dozen small ones.  So, you can cut it in half if you like. To ice, I just use the recipe on the back of the C&H  Pure Cane Sugar - Confectioners Powdered.  (See picture to the left.)   No need for fancy icing bags.  I just put the icing in a Ziploc & snip of the end, making a very small cut.  It's true, it makes a big mess, but it sure is fun!  My kids know that during  the holiday season the cookie cutters are sure to come out.  It's good quality time & wonderful fun!