Decorator Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter softened

1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 egg

2-3 tsp flavoring (pick what you like, I prefer almond)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (add 1/4 cup more if your dough is too sticky)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Cream together softened butter and confectioner's sugar.

Crack the egg into a separate bowl and add the flavouring.

Add egg and flavouring mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until the egg is thoroughly incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add little by little to the wet mixture.

I can tell the dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. When I touch it, it has a little give, but does not stick to my fingers.

Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Roll out on parchment to about 1/4 an inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary and cut cookies as desired.

Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

makes 2 - 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Notes about her recipe:

• The dough does not need to be refrigerated.
• The recipe doubles well
• Baking times are approximate. You must know your oven. Watch them the first few times you bake them. If the cookies are browning you've gone too far.
• This dough can be flavored any way you'd like.
• The cookies freeze well.
• There is a lot of leavener in these cookies. This is not a typo. The general rule is less leavener so they don't spread.
• This recipe does spread a little. If you don't like that add a little flour.
• If you don't like salt, leave it out altogether.
• If you only have salted butter, use that and don't add salt.
• I prefer decorating day-old cookies. They are less likely to leach oil back into your icing if they have had a day or two to "dry out". They are still soft however.

I got this recipe here and she has a nice photo tutorial to go along with the recipe. This is nearly her exact posting with a little variance based upon my own preferences.