Sugar Cookies for Charishma

These are basic cut-out cookies posted in responce to a request. Convection oven temp is included as well as conventional. I did not include the 3 hour chill time in the cook/prep times below, you may not need it if the dough isn't sticky and rolls out easily. The cook time is 7 minutes per batch.

• Ready In: 52 mins
• Yields: 36-48 cookies

Ingredients

• 2  cups flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄3 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄3 cup shortening
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  egg
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
•  icing
• 1  cup powdered sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1  tablespoon milk or 1  tablespoon  orange juice

Directions

1. Cream butter and shortening together, add sugar, baking powder and a dash of salt.
2. Beat until combined, scraping bowl.
3. Add egg and vanilla.
4. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.
5. Stir in remaining flour.
6. Cover and chill for 3 hours or until easy to handle.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8" thick.
8. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.
9. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
10. in a conventional oven bake at 375F 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are slightly browned.
11. Cool on a wire rack, or on waxed paper on the countertop.
12. Frost with icing when cooled.
13. For a convection oven, I have seen that you would bake them on 325F for 7-8 minutes.
14. If you take them out and let them sit on the pan for a minute, they will continue to cook.
15. I usually take mine out a bit early, when they look like they aren't quite done yet.
16. This lets them stay soft and chewy.
17. Another tip is to drop the pan flat onto the counter after removing from the oven, this helps to spread them out so they aren't so puffed up.
18. For the icing, just mix the 3 ingredients together until it is a good spreading consistency, adding extra milk 1 teaspoon at a time.
19. Add a drop of food coloring.