Trisha Yearwood's Iced Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing ingredients:
11-pound box of confectioners' sugar
3 Tbsp. meringue powder
1/3 cup warm water (80-90 degrees F)
Food coloring (optional)
Assorted sprinkles, colored sugar and small candy pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients, one spoonful at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla.

Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Roll out half of the dough at a time, keeping the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut it into desired shapes with a cookie cutter.

Place the cutout cookies 2 inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet and put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for a few minutes before baking. This will help the cookies retain their shape. (You can roll out the scraps to make a few more cookies.)

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just before the edges of the cookies start to brown.

Cool the cookies for 1 to 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

From: Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends by Trisha Yearwood, with Glen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard