Recipe: Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies, Buttercream Frosting and Homemade Colored Sugar

FROSTED SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Buttercream Frosting for Cookies (recipe follows)
Colored sugar* (optional, for decorating)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter or margarine and beat with an electric mixer until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. blending well after each addition. Add vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

In a separate bowl. mix together flour; baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture one cup at a time, and blend until all the flour mixture is incorporated. Roll into l-inch balls, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bottoms turn light brown. Let stand for 5 minutes
before removing to cool on a wire rack.

Frost cooled cookies with Buttercream Frosting for Cookies. For an extra special touch, you can garnish your frosted cookies with Colored Sugar.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING FOR COOKIES

1 cup 12 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 (1 lb.) pkg. confectioner's sugar (approx. 3 3/4 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
1 teaspoon water
I to 2 drops food coloring

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cream of tartar. Add confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, blending until fully incorporated. Add extract and water, mixing until combined. Whip frosting at a high speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy: Add food coloring.

*HOW TO MAKE COLORED SUGAR:
To create colored sugar, simply take 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar and mix with a few drops of food coloring of your choice.

Makes 24 to 30 cookies
Source: Package label recipe on 10 lb. bag of Domino Sugar