Recipe: Really Simple Sugar Cookies

Baked goods are a gift from the heart, and decorated sugar cookies are one of my favourites. This easy sugar cookie recipe uses ingredients most people have on hand, and makes a batch of 6 dozen -- enough for gifting AND keeping!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten
4 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond flavouring

3 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, cream, vanilla, and almond flavouring. Beat until well mixed.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. Mix until combined. The dough will be very soft. Chill it in the fridge for about an hour before using.

Roll out dough 1/4" thick on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters. bake on parchment lined cookie sheet for 8 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Decorate with icing when completely cooled. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Variation:

For East Coast style filled cookies, cut the dough into rounds with a drinking glass or biscuit cutter. Place a teaspoon of mincemeat filling in the center of the cookie, cover with a second cookies, and crimp the edges to seal. Make a small cut in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F.