Holiday Entertaining - Sugar Cookies....

So I was having trouble with making sugar cookies. I know, I know. It's sugar cookies how hard could it be. Well, let's just say I couldn't find a good one until now. This recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Holiday Entertaining book. Great book! However, I did have to modify the recipe a little. It had NO vanilla in the recipe! Who doesn't that?! My hubby said, "It's not a sugar cookie without vanilla in it." I have to agree with him. The vanilla made the cookie. Also, I didn't want a cookie that was made with shortening. (Yuck!) But these cookies were just what I was looking for. So I had to share. Happy baking! Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma HolidayEntertaining book

Make about 36 cookies (depends on the size of cookie)

2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (plain)

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Have ready 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or ungreased.

In a food processor, combine the butter and granulated sugar and pulse until creamy.

Add the egg and vanilla and pulse 5 or 6 times until fluffy and blended.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add one-third of the flour mixture to the food processor and process until blended, about 45 seconds.

Add the remaining flour in two batches, processing after each addition, until dough is smooth.

Note: It doesn’t have this in the original recipe, but you should refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes or so. This way the dough will be easier to work with and not so sticky cause it’s too warm. So after the dough is smooth, turn out the dough onto some paste wrap and separate the dough into two disks. Then refrigerate.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, shape into a ball, and then roll out 1/8 inch think.

Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes.

Then, using a spatula, transfer the cutouts to the baking sheets. Gather up the dough scraps and repeat the process to make more cookie cutouts to add to the baking sheets.

Bake until lightly browned on the bottom and pale golden on top, 6-8 minutes.

Transfer to wire racks and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer to the racks to cool completely.

Note: Remember to decorate with sprinkles before going into the oven. Or decorate the cooled cookies with Royal Icing.

Image from Me; Recipe from Williams-Sononma cookbooks at Barns & Noble