Christmas Cutout Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened, roughly cut into tablespoon-sized pieces.
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (plus more for rolling out cookies)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups AP flour (300 g)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• Granulated sugar (optional)
• Parchment Paper

Instructions:

1. Cream together sugar and butter until whipped, fluffy, and lighter in color (3-5 minutes on medium speed). Don’t rush creaming the sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well. If making a double batch, add eggs one at a time.
2. Blend in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar in segments to avoid the puff out of the mixer bowl.
3. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours.
4. Divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/4 in thick on lightly powdered sugar-dusted surface. Cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle with granulated sugar (optional). Use powdered sugar instead of flour to help keep the cookies soft and not too dry.
   • Working in sheet pan batches at a time, chill shaped cookies in the fridge (20 minutes min), or freezer (15 minutes min) before baking. This will help them keep from spreading and losing their shape in the oven. They should be cold to the touch and have stiffened before going in the oven.
   • Cookies should not be placed closer than 2 inches on all sides from another cookie or the edge of the baking sheet to avoid them expanding and pushing into each other. This will require more batches and a longer overall baking time but you’ll keep more distinct shapes in the long run.
5. Heat oven to 375° and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Place on baking sheets and bake 7-8 minutes until light brown on edges.
7. Leave on baking sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely. This will help avoid the cookies breaking while they are hot and more fragile. Support the cookies during any transfers between baking sheets or cooking racks with a thin spatula to avoid breaking.

Tips & Tricks

• You will want to double the recipe if you want enough cookies for a decorating party.
• Work quickly with the dough to keep it cool while you roll it out and cut it into shapes.
• I recommend rolling pin spacer rings for consistent dough thickness.
• Make cookies ahead of time and place them in a safe container in the freezer until it’s time to frost.
• Preferred frosting: cream cheese.