Sugar Cookies are the Debil

Ever since I the very first time I saw The Water Boy anything that gives me any kind of trouble gets called the devil (pronounced with a "b" instead of a "v") and up until 2 years ago my husband and I had this conversation every year...

Hubs "When are you making your Halloween cookies?"
Me "Never! I hate them and I'm never making rolled cookie cutter cookies ever again!"
Hubs "But you say that every year."
Me "I really meant it last time, sugar cookies are the debil and possibly the death of me."

Every year even though I would swear never again, I'd decide its was a good idea to make cut sugar cookies. Something about their festive little shapes and all the sparkly colored sugar and royal icing just sucked me right in like a big gaping black hole. And then I would say "what the heck I'll try again" and have a melt down again.

I'm a good cook and a darn good baker but for some reason I could never never never seem to get the dough right for cut out cookies. The dough would be too dry/wet/warm/soft/whatever it wasn't ever right. Truth be told I don't really even like sugar cookies much...give me a p-nut butter cookie, chocolate chip cookie or better yet a combination of the both and I'm a happy girl! I do love how festive they are though and being able to share them with friends and family and they just really remind me of making them with my mom as a child so there's all kinds of sentiment behind them. AND I just couldn't let something so small as a teeny tiny cookie call me out. So every year I'd try again, somehow fail and end up with a big ball of dough in my trash can.

Then I found this recipe, I can't tell you what is different about it from the others I tried mostly because I threw them away/burned/stomped on them as soon as my attempt failed. But I know it works and I get perfect cookies every time now!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Mixing on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week. 

So, off to make my yearly cookies to share with friends and family (if any make it past the Hubs) & Happy Thursday to everyone and good luck to all that entered the giveaway! A winner will be drawn tomorrow morning, I can't wait!