Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs
Royal icing (recipe below)
Sprinkles and sanding sugars,
for decorating
Directions
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together sugar, butter, vanilla extract and almond extract until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after adding each egg to incorporate. Add dry ingredients; mix on low speed until dough is smooth and well-blended.
Turn dough out onto to a floured surface; divide into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk, and wrap each disk in plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Working with 1 disk at a time, roll to ¹/₈ inch thickness on a floured surface (lightly coat rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking). Using various large cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Reroll and cut scraps. Place baking sheets in preheated oven and bake until cookies are lightly browned around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool cookies completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.
Decorate with royal icing, sprinkles and sugars.
