Frosted Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

My cut-out cookie recipe was created by my great-aunt and is now a family tradition. While growing up, my mother and I would cut the cookie dough into tree and star shapes every year at Christmas time. I get a craving for my favorite cookie and make these for other holidays through out the year. This weekend, I took a road trip with a car full of Valentines from Philly to Western, NY to visit some friends and deliver heart-shape, flower-shape, Hello Kitty, and hockey-inspired cookies. I think there is a cookie for everyone. :)

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

Cookies:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large metal bowl, cream egg, softened margarine, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour) to form a large ball of dough. Chill dough in refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator and place a sheet of waxed paper sprinkled with flour on your counter top. Scoop dough (about the size of your fist) on to waxed paper. Cover dough with another sheet of waxed paper and roll with rolling pin. Dough should be rolled flat to about 1/8 inches thick. Now the fun part... cut into shapes! With a spatula, place cut-outs on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should be lightly golden when removed from oven. Place cookies on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before decorating.

Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup vanilla soy milk
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar **food coloring and sprinkles are optional, but highly encouraged :)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, cream ingredients. Add additional soy milk or sugar to create a thick, creamy frosting. Frosting should not be too drippy or else it will not set properly on the cookies.