Soft & Thick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Rollin' out one of those old family favorites today! Actually, I haven't made them since I first posted them back in 2012. I like the pictures so much from back then that I'll just keep them! :) They're the boys' favorite, requested every year, because they are treat AND activity! Who doesn't like playing with sprinkles and frosting? They were always my favorite Christmas treat too, and I spent hours painstakingly decorating them perfectly. Seriously. Ask my family, they'll be happy to mock me for it. :) These days I leave the detailed decorating to the boys, but still take great pride in my frosting abilities. Oh, and they're seriously scrumptious. So if you've got a few hours and need a family activity idea during this Christmas break, I've got you covered!

Soft & Thick Cut-Out Cookies (adapted slightly from Christmas Recipes from The Lion House)
Printable Recipe

2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 Tb vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Frosting:
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tb milk
food coloring

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs,almond extract, and vanilla and beat till fluffy again. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together, and add to the creamed mixture. Mix till combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, about 3/4 inch thick.

(I like to roll it out on parchment paper. Just grab a lump at a time, don't bother trying to roll the whole thing out! If it gets a bit sticky, sprinkle with a little bit of flour. Be sparing with the flour, or you'll end up with tough, floury cookies)

Cut with cookie cutters, and place on greased/lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10-13 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies, until they are just puffed. If the edges start to brown, you've gone too far!! You want these to stay soft!

(Mine puffed and spread a bit more than usual because I didn't have time to refrigerate. If you take the time to chill the dough they won't spread this much, I promise!)

Let cool completely, then frost!

Beat butter for frosting till fluffy. Add vanilla and sugar, and beat till it looks all crumbly. Add the milk, 1 Tb at a time, beating lots between each. It may not seem like enough, but wait a bit. If you add too much milk too soon you'll never get it fluffy. I know from experience! Beat until thick and fluffy, separate into frosting bowls, and stir food coloring into each.

And there you have it!! These are my favorite Christmas treats. I could eat the whole batch myself. They're perfect.

I did the pink tree on purpose. Just like those fluffy pink frosted cookies you can buy all over, right?? Believe me, these are better. Just as soft and wonderful, but buttery, more vanilla, just better.

Yes, you could do royal icing for fancier, more intricate frosting, but as beautiful as those are, I've never had one that actually tasted yummy. These DO! The frosting hardens just enough that you can stack them gently, but stays soft and creamy underneath. Always. (This year they were supposed to be part of our neighbor-treat-plates, but we're keeping them for ourselves)

They make me happy.