Best 2 Good Sugar Cookie Recipes

BASIC SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH FROM GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Steps:

• On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar 1 minute or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. **This recipe calls for butter with no substitutions because the butter not only gives the best flavor, but also makes the dough more manageable. Margarines and spreads are too soft to produce a dough that can be rolled easily.
• Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling.
• Heat oven to 400*.
• Lightly flour your rolling surface, roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time. Keep remaining dough refrigerated.
• Place cut cookies about an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 5 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Remove immediately from cookie sheets place onto cooling racks.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'S CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. On high speed, beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On low speed, beat in eggs and vanilla, then flour mixture just until blended, scraping bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough to scant 1/4-inch thickness; keep remaining dough cold. With floured 3- to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.
• When cookies are cool, prepare frosting and decorate cookies. Allow frosting to dry. Store cookies in tightly sealed containers with waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.