by Lindsay Weiss posted in Life & Home

Sugar cookies are a personal thing. I won't claim to have the best recipe for everyone, but this is, hands down, the best recipe I've ever found for my family.

Here's what this recipe is:
Rich and buttery; with hints of vanilla and almond

Holds its shape incredibly well (no spreading)

Crisp and crunchy on the outside; tender on the inside
Here's what this recipe is NOT:
Thin and crispy. Some people really like those crisp, paper-thin sugar cookies. I am not one of them. I like a nice thick, buttery, tender cookie with a crispy outer crust. This recipe is actually one used for cookie bouquets so the dough is nice and sturdy.
For the icing, when I'm decorating with my kids I do not want something where we have to pipe on a border and then flood it with runnier icing. That looks great, but it's too complicated. I discovered this paint-on icing at a cooking class recently, and it's the easiest and most beautiful alternative. Best Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
Recipe from Michelle Bommarito

The refrigeration just before baking is key to the cookie holding its shape and not spreading. Don't skip it!
3 cups (13.5 oz) all-purpose flour*

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 sticks butter, unsalted, softened (8 oz)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract
*I highly suggest weighing the flour if you have a scale. If you don't have one, make sure you're lightly spooning the flour ...