Prep Time: 2-3 hours

What you need:
•	3 cups of sifted flour		•	1 teaspoon vanilla
•	½ teaspoon salt		•	1 cup sugar
•	1 cup softened butter		•	1 egg, beaten
•	3 tablespoons light cream		•	1½ teaspoons baking powder

Equipment and supplies:
•	Cookie sheets		•	1 teaspoon vanilla
•	Flour sifter		•	1 cup sugar
•	Mixing bowls		•	1 egg, beaten
•	Measuring cups and spoons		•	Spatula for lifting cookies off the pan
•	Cookie cutters		•	Rolling pin
•	Wax paper		•	Pastry blender
•	Large zip-top plastic bag		•	Cooling rack

What to Do:
1.	Sift together all dry ingredients – flour through sugar – into a large mixing bowl.
2.	Cut in softened butter. (This means you chop up the butter and mix in into the dry ingredients. You can use two butter knives or a pastry blender.)
3.	Add beaten egg, light cream, and vanilla. Mix together.
4.	Form into a ball and place into the zip-top bag. Seal and place in the refrigerator for an hour or longer.
5.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6.	Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Spread wax paper on the countertop. Add a sprinkling of flour on the wax paper.
7.	Put a small amount of the dough on the wax paper and use the rolling pin to roll it thin.
8.	Dip cookie cutters in flour and then use them to form shapes. (We like to do our initials!)
9.	Carefully remove the dough around your cut-out shapes and place cookies on a cookie sheet. If you’re going to shake on colored sugar or sprinkles, do it now.
10.	Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. They brown quickly.
11.	Carefully remove cookies from pan. Place on a cooling rack. If you’re going to decorate with icing, wait until cookies have cooled off.

How much does this recipe make?
About 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutters you use