Mary Anne's Decorated Sugar Cookies - KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather & Sports

Mary Anne's Decorated Sugar Cookies

Kids home for the holidays and they want to make something in the kitchen? Then, this is the cookie recipe for you. It is truly kid-proof. Follow the recipe precisely and you will have delicious, easy-to-make sugar cookies in a fraction of the time.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkles or colored sugar, optional

• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. If you don't want to frost them, then sprinkle the cookies with colored sugar or sprinkles.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies depending on size and shapes.

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Frosting for Sugar Cookies:

1/3 cup butter, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, optional

Assorted tubes of food coloring

• In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter with the confectioners' sugar. However, do not add the confectioners' sugar all at once; add it to the butter a little at a time. Then add the milk until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla or almond extract, if using. Divide frosting into separate bowls and with a fork beat in food coloring. With a pastry brush spread frosting on cookies. Or if desired you can place frosting in decorator bags and pipe it onto cookies.

Note: You might need to add extra milk if frosting is too thick to work with. Add extra milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. This frosting starts off softer on the cookies and then hardens up enough to stack them without being crunchy. You might place cookies in the refrigerator to speed up the hardening process of the frosting.

Note: After frosting each cookie try dipping your icing spatula in hot water; wipe off the spatula and then gently run it over the top of the frosting. This will give your cookie a shiny finish. Or you can gently pat it with a paper towel for a textured look.

Note: Sometimes I have melted the butter in the microwave to save time.

Note: You can also dip cooled cookies in melted milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips and place on waxed or parchment paper.