Grandma's Holiday Sugar Cookies

Want a simple, delicious, and fun sugar cookie recipe? This is one of the best out there! These cookies are perfect for all occasions. Cut them into any shape and decorate them however you'd like! In my family, decorating these cookies together is a holiday tradition. It is so much fun, they turn out amazing, and I would love to share the recipe with you all!

To make the cookies you will need:

2 sticks of butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 cups flour

Note: see step 9 for icing ingredients

Soften the butter to room temperature. Put butter and sugar in stand mixer, and beat until fluffy.

Add the egg into the bowl and beat until combined.

Add the almond extract and baking powder to the mixture. Beat until combined.

Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until fully incorporated. Do not over-mix or the dough will become tough.

Cut out 2 pieces of parchment paper. Split the dough in half, using one piece of parchment paper per half. Form the dough into disks and wrap in parchment paper. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Note: you can freeze the dough for a few weeks for later use.

Remove the dough from the fridge. It may need to soften for a few minutes if it was in the fridge too long. Flour your rolling pin and the surface you plan to roll out the dough on. Roll out. Using cookie cutters, cut out in your desired shape. Place cut out dough on a non-stick cookie sheet.

Note: If your cookie sheet isn't non-stick, put a layer of parchment paper onto the sheet before placing the cookies on top.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden-brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, you will need powdered sugar, almond extract, a little bit of water, and assorted food coloring. You will also need multiple bowls and spoons for the different colors of icing.

Pour some powdered sugar into each bowl. Add little bits of water slowly to thin it out. Add the extract. The extract is strong, so use small amounts. Add food coloring. Add more of any of these ingredients to get the perfect taste, texture, and color for your liking. Icing should be fairly thin, but not watery.

Note: if you make the icing a little thicker, you can pipe it from a bag instead of spreading it onto the cookies.

Once cookies are fully cooled, spread icing on with a knife, or pipe it from a bag. Decorating with sprinkles always make the cookies look extra great. Get creative and have fun!

Arrange cookies on a nice plate or platter to serve at any party or holiday, or keep them to share with your family.

Enjoy making these cookies with family, friends, or just on your own! I hope they add excitement to your holidays!