THE BEST Sugar Cookies

Ok so I am not even a fan of sugar cookies. I'll eat one from time to time but definitely don't seek them out. If there is a plate full of them in front of me I can keep on walking and not think twice. My sister Shanna however is a fan. For Christmas she received from her cute hubby Brian a set of really cool cookie cutters that she had been excited to use. We had been talking for sometime about getting together to make sugar cookies so she could play with her cookie cutters. I told her I would do some research and find us some recipes to try. So on Friday I did just that. I had a few different ones in mind that all promised the kind of cookie we were both looking for- Soft (not hard or crispy like some tend to be), thick and ever so slightly chewy. After reading through the recipes we settled on one that had some interesting elements which none of the others had- lemon rind and almond flavoring. We were also looking for a recipe that we could make quickly and easily. Some recipes call for refrigerating the dough for one or more hours before rolling but not this one. These were fast and easy to make and OH SO delicious. We were both so thrilled that we had finally found a great recipe. Especially Shanna who had already had a few failed attempts. This recipe is a must try!

PEOPLE we have hit the jackpot. I will never try another sugar cookie recipe. This one is IT!

I found this recipe on
http://goodthingscatered.blogspot.com

Fabulous Sugar Cookies
by Ashlee

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp lemon zest
5 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Cream butter and sugars in a mixer for 5 minutes.
-Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly.
-Add vanilla, almond, and lemon zest.
-Add in flour, baking powder, and salt a little at a time. Shanna and I found that we needed to add more flour than what this recipe calls for. Just eyeball it. When the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and is a rolling consistency then stop adding flour.
-Do not over mix, this process should take about one minute.
-Chill dough for up to a week in the fridge, or roll out and cut right away.


My cute sister in law- Shanna

-Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake cookies for 7-8 minutes. Don't over cook. We baked ours for a maximum of 7 minutes.

-Wait until cookies are cooled before icing.

I found that this recipe made 30-32 big, thick cookies. Ashlee says 80, so I think it's just the size and thickness of the cookie.

I decorated the cookies with a cream cheese frosting. See below for recipe.



Cream Cheese Frosting:
From http://priscillabakes.blogspot.com/

3 tsp. vanilla (or almond)- I used a touch of both.
6 cups powdered sugar
12 oz cup cream cheese, softened
A few tbsp. of milk (may need more depending on consistency)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all together.

ENJOY!