Easter Sugar Cookies

Ok you guys, I think I have found the holy grail of sugar cookies. For months I have been desperately looking for a good sugar cookie dough that was easy to manage and tastes great, and I can officially say I’m done now. 🙂 I found the recipe on Bake at 350 and it makes about 2-3 dozen cookies. I was worried initially since the dough looked really crumbly, but after kneading it with my hands for a little while it came together. This texture works to my advantage because no additional flour was needed for rolling out and cutting. Less mess is a HUGE plus in my book. And bonus, there was no chilling necessary either!  Already I was smitten with this recipe, but then I took them out of the oven and was delighted to see that there was no spreading issues either, the cookies retained all their detail and shape! And of course, the taste test revealed a tender cookie with a hint of almond, not too dry and not too moist. This my friends is the best sugar cookie cut out recipe ever!

(The royal icing was just created with the instructions on my meringue powder can.)

(And yes, those are M&Ms on the bunny, I work with what I got!)

3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
2 sticks butter (salted)
1 egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract (or substitute for preferred flavor)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl and set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar. (tip: if using cold butter, cut into small cubes to mix easier) Add the egg and extracts and mix. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until combined. You might need to just dig in with your hands near the end.

3.  Roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper and cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes. Let cool and decorate.