Sugar Cookie Cutouts

It's creative cookie time! This sugar cookie cutouts recipe is a quick and easy recipe for always welcome sugar cookies. Super easy to make and bake, the hardest part will be deciding what shapes to use.

Pumpkins, stars, hearts and turkeys - there's a cookie cutter for every holiday of the year.

You might also want to stock up on colorful sprinkles and colored icings.

Find some slim wooden dowels or chop sticks for cookie bouquets, a great favorite for school room parties. And if you find yourself short on time around the holidays (who doesn't?), sugar cookies can be made ahead and kept frozen for up to 3 months.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and the kosher salt.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. With the mixer on medium low speed, add the egg, canola oil and vanilla extract. Beat until they are well incorporated.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture. When everything is thoroughly mixed, divide the dough and place in 2 separate, clean bowls. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 or 2 hours, until the dough is stiff enough to roll out.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the first bowl of dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out your desired shapes with a 2 or 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place the cut out cookies at least 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Re-roll the scraps and make more cookies. Repeat this process with the second bowl of dough.

Bake them for 6 to 8 minutes in the hot oven or until the edges are firm and lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

On Your Own - Sugar cookie cutouts make unique gift tags. Use a drinking straw or other small item to cut a hole at the top of a cut out cookie before they go into the oven.

Good To Know - To cut back on calories, use Splenda Blend for Baking or Equal Sugar Lite instead of the granulated sugar. You can also use 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters or other egg substitute instead of the whole egg.

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