the art of happiness

I made fall sugar cookies for our Bible study last night. There were pumpkins and three different types of leaves. I'd never gotten to use my leaf cookie cutters and was anxious to do so. I think they turned out cute! This recipe is my Aunt Melody's and it's really the best sugar cookie recipe ever, so I thought I'd share it with you. It's great for making cookies to leave for Santa. :)

Aunt Melody's Sugar Cookies

4 sticks of butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 T milk
2 t vanilla
6 cups flour
6 t baking powder

Cream butter and sugar, slowly add liquids, then flour (sifted with baking powder). Mix until a dough forms. Fashion into manageable portions, wrap in cellophane, and freeze for 20 minutes. (I say manageable portions because this recipe-though this is it split in half-makes LOTS of dough- too much to roll out all at once. So it's easier if you divide it into thirds or fourths and only take out of the freezer what you can easily roll out on your counter. The dough is far easier to handle when chilled. If you get too much out it gets sticky before you can finish rolling and cutting cookies.) After chilling (in freezer for 20 minutes or 'fridge for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours) roll out on flour surface and cut out cookies. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 min.

Frosting:
4c powdered sugar
3T water
3 T milk
1 1/2 T vanilla
food coloring
If icing is too thin, add more powedered sugar; if too thick, add more milk or water. If you're going to use liquid food coloring to dye your icing, mix the frosting a bit thicker as the food coloring will thin it down. Should be easily spreadable on cooled cookies and will dry with a pretty gloss. Cookies, once dry (20 minutes) can be easily stacked on tray.
ENJOY!!