WFMW: Even Better Sugar Cookies

**linked to WFMW@WeAreThatFamily**

I always brought in sugar cookies in high school.  I knew, even way back then, that most people have a price, and that the exchange rate for butter & sugar is very generous.  I may or may not have started buying friends with baked goods as early as 14.  I can't help it.  I just like to bake, and I like to give.  And people, most people, like to eat.  We make a good team, the world and I.

So I've picked up a few tips and tricks in the past more-than-I-care-to-count-today years.  And I'm sharing one today that I have found to be quite fancy and awesome.

When rolling out sugar cookie dough for use with cookie cutters, use half-flour/half-powdered (confectioners) sugar.  This will prevent your cookies from getting all flour-y tasting, and will also prevent them from sticking to the counter top.  Brilliant, no?  

If you use only flour, and have to roll out dough repeatedly (although you should handle it as little as possible), the cookies seem to loose their sweetness, and taste more like biscuits or hard tack.  If you use only powdered sugar, the dough can absorb the sugar too quickly and remain too sticky to deal with.  You need a nice, middle of the road 50/50 mix.

The cookies are not especially sweet on their own, and when topped with my Mom's buttercream icing, they are just the perfect explosion of butter and sugar.  I'm telling you, these cookies would end wars, reunite feuding families, and even bring Tom & Jerry together in peace.  Here's the recipe, in case you are in the middle of any ugly battles and would like an easy way out.  I'm thinking of writing a baking book, called How to buy friends and enlarge people.  What do you think?  Catchy?

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 C Flour
•  1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 6 Tablespoon Butter
• 6 Tablespoon Margarine (don't do all of one!) 
• 1 C Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla 

Cream butter, margarine and sugar.  Add in dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla, then add to other mixture.  Mix until combined.  Shape dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate over night. When ready to use, allow dough to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.  Roll dough on flour/sugared counter top, to 3/4-inch thickness.  Cut and place on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350*F for 10-12 minutes, until bottom is just browned.

Icing:

• 1 lb. Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 C Butter (softened)
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 3-6 T Half-n-Half

Combine all ingredients with a mixer, alternately adding sugar and half-n-half.  Do use all of the sugar, but only use as much half-n-half as necessary to obtain the desired consistency.  Once mixed, add any food coloring, if desired.  Then ice the cookies!

Recipe makes 2-3 dozen, depending on size.
And depending on how much of the cookie dough you eat.
Hypothetically.

I've made these for Saint Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, your Un-birthday, and Ramadan.  They're pretty non-discriminatory.  But to me, Sugar Cookies really fit in the Thanksgiving/Christmas season.  I can't hardly wait to get out all my special Christmas shapes and whip up a batch, using every topping under the sun for effect.  What about you?  Is there a special cookie that is connected to a certain holiday for you?

The holidays are upon us,

TFW