Sugar Cookies

My favorite sugar cookies are not quite crunchy, but not too soft either. And I love this icing recipe. The icing dries hard and shiny and is so fun to use.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts (from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)

1/3 c. butter or margarine
1/3 c. shortening
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
dash of salt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla (I use almond extract)
2 c. all-purpose flour

Beat butter and shortening on medium to high speed until smooth. Add sugar, baking powder and a dash of salt. Beat till combined, scraping bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until easy to handle. (An hour or two.)

On a lightly-floured surface, roll half at a time to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7-8 minutes until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool completely on a baking rack before frosting.

Sugar Cookie Icing

2 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. milk
4 tsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. You may have to play around with the liquid measurements - it can vary a lot depending on the humidity. The icing should be fairly thick, but not as thick as traditional frosting. You can either spread the icing with a spoon or knife or dip the tops of the cookies into the icing. Here is a link to the icing recipe on allrecipes.com: Sugar Cookie Icing.