Spring Themed Sugar Cookies

Have I mentioned how happy I am to be back East?  It's glorious to see the explosion of life and color here in Arlington, Virginia.  Tulips and daffodils are everywhere and I was so envious of folks who'd planted bulbs last fall, I decided to buy a few dozen daffodil bulbs that were 50% off at a local garden center and planted them a few weeks ago as an experiment.  I did not have high hopes they'd bloom this spring, but lo and behold, I am beginning to see daffodils!

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see this.  I celebrated by pulling out my cookie and cake decorating box, selecting some pastel colored decorating sugars and mixing up a batch of sugar cookie dough.  (This made my boys happy about spring, too.)  Here is the recipe I remember from childhood, modified to suit my tastes. 

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup organic lightly salted butter, softened (don't melt it in the microwave - just let it sit out until it's soft)
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or maybe a touch more depending on your taste)
1 organic egg
2 3/4 cups of organic all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
colored decorating sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar and blend until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla and blend until incorporated.
2. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

3. While the stand mixer is running, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until fully mixed.
4. Roll the dough into balls roughly 1 inch in diameter.  Dip the top of each ball in some colored sugar and place the ball sugar-side up on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake approximately 8 minutes until the bottom of the cookie turns golden brown. (If you wait until the top is golden brown, the bottom will be dark brown and the cookie will taste burned.)

Makes about 48 sugar cookies.  If you want to use a cookie cutter rather than dough balls, chill the dough first for 30 minutes, then roll out.  The dough also freezes well, so you can make a few cookies at a time, fresh for dessert.

Enjoy!