My Favorite Sugar Cookies

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us and it can't get here fast enough for me!  It's my absolute favorite holiday.  Food, Family, Food, Football, Food, Parades, and did I mention Food?  I love to cook and I love to eat (and I love to count my blessings) so Thanksgiving is the best day.  It is also the unofficial start to the holiday season when it becomes socially acceptable for me to blast Christmas music while baking sugar cookies.  Here is a simple, delicious recipe that you can bake while blasting Christmas music (the music is important to the recipe ;)

MY FAVORITE SUGAR COOKIES

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
holiday sprinkles or colored sugars
a little powdered sugar


Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until very well blended.  (If you don't have a mixer, just whip it with a whisk really, really well until fluffy).

Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Next, add the egg and vanilla.  Mix well.

Then, stir in the flour until fully incorporated.

Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.  This helps the cookies keep their shape.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pinch off a heaping tablespoon of dough (more or less) and roll it into a ball (I use a small scoop so they are all the same size, but you can use a spoon).

Place some sprinkles (or colored sugar) into a small bowl and dip the ball of dough into the sprinkles.

Place it onto a cookie sheet.  Leave a few inches between them because you're going to press them flat later.

Put a little bit of powdered sugar in a bowl.  Rub a little butter on the bottom of a glass (I use the wrapper from the softened butter I used in the cookies) then dip the bottom of the glass into the powdered sugar.

Flatten the dough with the glass.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies are simple but they're a holiday favorite for a reason.  Buttery, sweet and delicious!  They make a great gift and are so pretty on a cookie platter at a party.  You'll want to make these every year.