Old-Fashioned Cut out Frosted Butter Cookies

SoCalCookerGal's Note:

I made these cookies with my mom when I was young. My daughter and I now make these every year for Christmas keeping the tradition going. This recipe comes out of a darling cookbook dated 1947 called Best Loved Foods of Christmas. The pictures and graphics are so adorable. Baking the cookies isn't always the fun part but the decorating is a blast! My daughter asks me every year about SUMMER time Mom, can we make Cutout cookies again this year LOL! I always say YES most certainly! The time it takes to make these is worth the time. If you share these with others you will get so many compliments! IWhen I make these I break it up into a 2 day job. First day we bake the cookies and next day we decorate. These cookies also store well. I store them in a big air tight plastic container. Anyways have a blast making these. Your children or Grandchildren will grow up having fond memories of you and them baking these as I do with my Mother!

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 80 cookies

• 1 cup butter , softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons cream or 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ tsp.vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour , sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, milk adn vanilla.
3. Now blend in the dry ingredients flour, baking powder and salt until dough is formed. If desired you can chill for a hour for easier handling. I've never done this and the dough always rolled out fine for me.
4. Divide the dough in thirds. On a lightly floured board roll out the dough to about 1/8th inch thickness. Using cookie cutters cut into shapes and place on a cookie sheet.
5. Bake in oven for about 5 to 8 minutes until lightly golden brown. Cool on a rack.
6. SPECIAL NOTE: You can use vanilla extract but I think vanilla paste makes these cookies taste even more special using vanilla paste.
7. I use vintage Christmas cookie cutters where i found on Ebay. I bought vintage cooper cookie cutters instead of the aluminum ones due to safety concerns regarding the use of aluminum. But you can use modern cookie cutters and you can make these anytime not just for Christmas.
8. Please see my recipe for Creamy Vanilla Frosting where I will be giving some decorating suggestions. =).

Reviews

[Lighthouse Rita]

Thank you for sharing this recipe. My grandchildren were over and I wanted to make some cut out cookies I did not have to refrigerate. When I saw this recipe and read that you never refrigerated them, I gave them a try. They came out great. The grandkids loved decorating them and they tasted good as well. I followed the recipe as written, except I halved it. Thanks again for sharing. (I plan to add a picture of their creations.)