Food Friday - Sugar Cookies

I read this post by Michelle and it got me thinking about sugar cookies. Isn't it time to do some cookie decorating?
I think so.

Tonight while our hubbies/daddies are having church meetings, the Thorntons, Eden, and I will be decorating sugar cookies for Halloween. (An added bonus: we will take the extra cookies to the 5-stake youth dance in B'ham tomorrow night!)

So, here is the recipe I used. It is from the Lion House cookbook. I cut the recipe in half because I'm not baking 5 dozen sugar cookies thank you very much! I'll post it as written though (so if you do this recipe you'll get 5 dozen!!!)

2 C butter or margarine softened
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
5 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

• Cream the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. (ok, I'll be honest, I never do this, I just add it in my Kitchen Aid - I figure it all gets mixed in just fine)
• Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.
• Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
• Roll dough out 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured board or pastry cloth (Martha uses sugar instead of flour when rolling out sugar cookies - it makes them extra 'ummy, 'ummy).
• Preheat oven to 350 f.
• Cut with cookie cutter (if you don't have a cookie cutter, you can use a glass and just make round cookies - why not?).
• Place on greased cookie sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Frost.

Frosting:
1/3 C margarine or butter, softened
2 1/3 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
1-2 T milk

Beat butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Add milk a little at a time until the frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency. Add food coloring as desired.