Get the Recipe: Holiday Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

Frosting

  • 1 pound confectioners sugar
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons milk
  • food coloring, as desired

Instructions 

  • Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Place butter and granulated sugar in the large bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs and almond extract and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture until fully combined.
  • Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and add an additional piece of plastic wrap on top. Press down to form a disk about 8 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
  • Remove chilled dough from refrigerator, and plastic. Sprinkle rolling pin with flour and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
  • Cut out as many cookies as possible using a 2½ inch cookie cutter in your favorite shapes; place dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until cookies are golden brown on the edges and pale to light brown in the center.
  • Cool cookies completely on the baking sheet before icing.
  • Make the icing by whisking the confectioners sugar and milk in a medium bowl. If the icing is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of milk. (But you don’t want the icing to be too thin).
  • Divide the frosting equally into bowls and add 1 to 2 drops of food coloring until you reach desired hue.
  • Transfer icing to a sealable plastic bag and snip bottom corner to decorate.
Author: Jon Ashton
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American