Recipe - Ethels Sugar Cookies (With Variations)

Three fourths cup Butter; softened
1 cup Sugar
2 Egg
One half teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 One half cup Flour; sifted
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt
Sugar; for dusting (opt)

Thoroughly mix together the butter, sugar, eggs, and flavoring of choice.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the butter
mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour. Roll out to 1/8inch thickness. cut
into desired shapes with cookie cutter dipped in flour. Reroll the scraps
and continue cutting until all of the dough is used. Place on an ungreased
baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake in a moderate/hot
(400F) oven until delicately golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Makes about 4
dozen 3inch cookies.

VARIATIONS

Lemon Sugar Cookies: Follow the basic recipe above, except use 2 teaspoons
grated lemon rind and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in place of the flavoring.
Filled Sugar Cookies: Follow the basic recipe above except put together in
pairs before baking with 1 tablespoon filling of your choice or a solid
chocolate mint wafer between. Press the edges of the cookies together with
the tines of a fork.

Nut Sugar Cookies: Follow the basic recipe above except mix 1 cup of
finely chopped nuts into the dough.

Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini