Title: Cut-Out Cookies

Description:
Gma Martha's favorite recipe for cookies kids can make.
And the cookies are also very good.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks margarine)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degreesF. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix baking powder and flour, add one cup at a time, mixing after each
addition. The dough will be very stiff; blend last flour in by hand (if dough becomes too stiff,
add water, a teaspoon at a time.) Do not chill dough. Their directions say, "Divide dough into 2
balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle."
I divide dough into the amount of kids making cookies or into smaller balls so easier for kids to
handle.
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Note from Martha. This is where the kids learn to make the cookies. I have a heavy plastic
tablecloth that I use for making cut-out cookies. The table cloth is laid out on table, metal or
plastic cut-out cookie cutters are set on table, along with about an 1/8 cup flour in front of each
cookie maker. (Add additional flour as needed.) Kids with "CLEAN" hands put cutters into flour,
pat flour flat, are given a ball of dough to then pat flat (about 1/8 inch thick) and then fill
flattened dough with as many cookie cutters as possible. Then the kids lift cutter and put cookie
on non-greased cookie sheet. I have found that the cut-outs are much easier for kids to use as
the designed cookie cutters (neat as they look) always need lots of flour and the dough usually
sticks in the small areas, requiring extra help to extract the cookie. So I save the fancier cookie
cutters for older kids and me.
After the cookie sheet is filled, they can sprinkle cookie dough with cinnamon sugar mixture if
desired. (I have a salt shaker filled with mixture and they just shake over cookies.)
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Back to the directions.
Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes or until cookies are
lightly browned.
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*Dough can be tinted with icing color. Add small amounts until desired color is reached.
*For chocolate cookies: Stir in 3 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate.
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Note from Martha. I have used the above recipe for painted cookies too. To make the cookie
paint, mix 1 egg yoke and tablespoon of water or more to thin. Add food coloring to tint. After
the cookies are on cookie sheet, paint each with desired color with clean water-color brushes.
Then bake as above.

Number Of Servings: Makes 20-24 average size cookies.