LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

"If your little ones (and not-so-little ones) must have cut-out cookies, this is the recipe. It's easy to handle, and has a marvelous lemon flavor--and these cookies are good even if they've been over-handled by your little helpers. Best sugar cookie recipe I've ever tried! "

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
colored sugar or sprinkles

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter and margarine over moderate heat. Stir in granulated sugar; remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.

Beat in eggs and lemon extract. Add flour mixture, one-fourth at a time, mixing well after each addition. Wrap dough and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide dough in half. On a floured board or pastry cloth or between two layers of waxed paper roll one piece of dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut with assorted cookie cutters. Place cookies two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Decorate with colored sugar if desired. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Source: Jean Michaels, Redbook magazine, 1978