Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Sample recipe. Replace this with a real family recipe and its story.

Decorating these is the real tradition. The dough gets made one night and chilled, and the next afternoon the kitchen table disappears under sprinkles.

Ingredients

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

Steps

1. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and both extracts.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt, then mix them into the butter mixture on low speed until a dough forms.
3. Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured counter and cut out shapes.
5. Bake on parchment-lined sheets for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Cool completely before decorating.

Notes

• Chilling the cut shapes for 10 minutes before baking keeps the edges extra sharp.