Cut Out Sugar Cookies

These may well be the easiest and most delicious Cut Out Sugar Cookies you ever make. They are not overly sweet, so you can add a frosting if you like.

They are perfect for holiday giving and sending.

A light coating of egg white gives them a lovely sheen when they have finished baking.

If you are good at dough rolling, you might want to roll these extra thin to make crisp wafer-like cookies. The thicker they are rolled out the softer they will be, so you should be able to make all the cookie lovers in the family happy!

Favorite Cut Out Sugar Cookies

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening or unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg white beaten with a little water

Cream the shortening or softened butter with the granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 by 1, beating after each addition. Add the milk and the vanilla extract.

Whisk together the flour with the baking powder and kosher salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the creamed sugar.

Divide the dough into 2 portions and flatten each of them between layers of plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, so that the dough will be stiff enough to roll out.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly coat cookie sheets with cooking spray or shortening.

Lightly flour a work surface, then roll out 1 piece of dough to a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch thickness. Dip your favorite cookie cutters into flour then cut out the shapes. Put them on the prepared cookie sheets, placing them at least 2 inches apart.

Using a pastry brush, very lightly coat each of the cookies with the egg white glaze. Bake in the hot oven for about 8 minutes. They should be very light golden brown.

Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Food For Thought - Decorate the cookies for the holidays. Put colored sprinkles on top of each coolie just after you glaze it - it will help keep the sprinkles stuck to the cookie. You can even add a little food coloring to the egg glaze to give a hint of color to the finished cookies.

Good To Know - You can also use a little whipping cream as a glaze on each cookie. It will also take a little color if you want to add just a hint.

You Might Need:

• Kitchen Supply Aluminum Half Size Sheet Pan 18-inch by 13-inch

• Calphalon 12-by-17-Inch Rectangular Nonstick Cooling Rack

• Silpat 11-5/8-by-16-1/2-Inch Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat

• Oxo Good Grips Cookie Scoop