my faves

Just in case you haven't baked cut-out sugar cookies yet, these are
my favorite tradition at the manor. They're rustic and chunky and
have the most velvety texture. They absolutely melt in your mouth.
They take me back in time to the wonderful sugar cookies I ate as a
little girl. And speaking of little ones, I didn't bother with the
sprinkles or colored sugar, since I didn't have any helping me this
year in the big ol' empty nest.

Willow's Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Combine flour and salt in a bowl and set aside. In electric mixing
bowl, mix butter, 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Add remaining sugar
and eggs and beat until fluffy. Slowly add flour mixture while
continuing to mix on low.

Roll dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out shapes. Don't add any extra
flour. The dough rolls easily without it.

Bake 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Be careful not to over bake!


Buttery Cookie Icing

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter softened
1 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend butter and powdered sugar, add milk and vanilla, mix until
smooth. Add an additional pinch of milk if needed.

Ice cooled cookies. Allow icing to set before stacking cookies.