ROLL OUT SUGAR COOKIES*

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400º.  Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  One cup at a time, add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing after each addition. The dough will be very stiff.  Do not chill dough.  

Divide dough into two balls.  On a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper, roll first ball into a circle about 12" in diameter and 1/8" to 1/4" thick.  Using cutters dipped in flour, cut out cookies.  Repeat with second ball of dough.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 6 - 7 minutes or until cookies are very lightly browned around the edges.  Remove to cooling rack. When cool, decorate as desired.

Icing:

1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

food coloring, if desired

Mix milk and sugar together.  Add corn syrup and mix well.  Add food coloring as desired.  If necessary, thin icing with a small amount of corn syrup at a time.  Icing dries hard to the touch but not hard to bite.

*From a 1987 package of Wilton cookie cutters