Sugar Cookies - Joy of Baking

By cassiestott

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Details

Servings 30
Adapted from recipelink.com

Preparation

Step 1

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until very fluffy and well blended. Add and beat in the egg, baking powder, salt, and vanilla until evenly incorporated. Stir in flour until well blended and smooth.

Divide the dough in half and shape into circles. Place each circle between large sheets of wax paper. Roll out a scant 1/4-inch thick, checking the underside frequently and smoothing out any creases. Keeping the wax paper in place, layer the rolled dough on a tray and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cold and slightly firm but not hard.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Working with 1 portion of dough (leave the other refrigerated), gently peel away and replace 1 sheet of the wax paper. (This will make it easier to lift the cookies from the paper later.) Peel off and discard the second layer. Using 2- or 3-inch cutters, cut out cookies. With a wide spatula, carefully transfer them from the wax paper to the cookie sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Makes 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 dozen 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-inch cookies.