Catastrophe Kitchen | Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

This recipe is the one my grandma and my mom used, straight from the Betty Crocker cookbook. It's perfect, every time. The powdered sugar base makes thin, light, delicate cookies, with just a hint of almond extract to give them their signature flavor. They can be cut into any shape imaginable, making them a holiday must-have.We make them like clockwork for Christmas and Valentine's Day, but they're also one of my son's favorite cookies to request on any given Thursday. We like them decorated and sprinkled up, but we also like them with plain white frosting, swiped on from the bowl just before eating. We've also been known to set the frosting and cookies out on a tray at parties for do-it-yourself fun.The dough can be made 2 hours to 3 months in advance, and the cookies keep for a week in a sealed container or a month in the freezer. Do yourself a favor and double the batch-- you can make them all at once or save a batch of dough for a rainy day. One batch makes about 4 dozen 2" cookies.Recipe adapted from Betty CrockerYou will need:For the cookies:1 1/2 C powdered sugar1 C room temperature butter (2 sticks/8 oz)1 egg1 tsp vanilla1/2 tsp almond extract2 1/2 C flour1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp cream of tartarFor the frosting:1/2 C butter (1 stick/4 oz)16 oz powdered sugar1 tsp vanilla1/4 tsp almond extract2-3 Tbsp waterOptional: Gel food coloring and sprinklesAdd your room temperature butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.Mix slowly at first to combine, then whip on high until very light and fluffy.Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.Cream these ingredients together on high.In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add them to the butter mixture and mix very slowly, juuuust until the flour is incorporated (you can do this with a wooden spoon or with your mixer).Divide the dough in half, then flatten each half into a rough disk and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dough at this point for up to 3 months; just wrap the dough in an additional layer of foil before freezing to protect it. (And don't forget to label your packets! I forgot once, and mistook it for pie dough. Those chicken pot pies were no bueno.)When you are ready to make your cookies, set the oven to 375F and dust a rolling surface with flour. Take one dough disk at a time out of the fridge and dust it with flour. Roll to 1/4" thick. If the dough is too stiff and rips or breaks when you try to roll it, let it sit out about 10 minutes, or until it rolls easily (it should still be cool to the touch).Using a cookie cutter or a glass dipped in flour, cut out your cookie shapes as close together as possible.Transfer them to a cookie sheet, leaving about a half inch between cookies.Gather up the dough scraps and kind of shake some of the excess flour off of them. Re-roll the dough and cut out more cookies.Set your timer for 6 minutes at first; the cookies can take 6-8 minutes, depending on your oven. You want to take them out when they are set and just starting to get a hint of brown on the edges.Let the cookies sit on the sheet for one minute, then transfer them to cooling racks. You can frost them when they are fully cooled.For the frosting, add the butter to the mixer and whip until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a tablespoon of water. Turn your mixer on to its lowest setting and combine. When the frosting starts to look homogenous, turn the mixer to high and continue whipping. Add more water as needed, a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is soft and spreadable.Add gel coloring if desired (I dyed a small amount yellow for stars and dyed the rest green for my Christmas trees) and mix to combine, or just use the frosting as is.Frost your cookies and EAT THEM ALL!!!! Well, maybe save a couple for Santa.