No Fail Sugar Cookies from Fancy Flours

(Cookie decorations courtesy of Katie, age 3)

When I made my cheater Russian Grandmothers' Apple Pie-Cake, I used up the rest of some No Fail Sugar Cookie Dough I had sitting in the fridge. This is a recipe I picked up when I was out in Bozeman, Montana last June, and I made a pilgrimage to Fancy Flours. I had been receiving their paper catalog for a few months, and was a frequent visitor to their website, but I didn't expect such a gorgeous retail store. My sister-in-law and I had to really restrain ourselves. I believe Fancy Flours popularized the laser-cut fancy cupcake wrappers when they appeared on Martha Stewart's cupcake week, and the store clerk said that they could barely keep up with the mail order demand. The store stocks more baking tools - unusual cupcake liners, sprinkles, and an entire wall of cookie cutters - than you can shake a fist at. I've also ordered through their website and have been really pleased with the items I've received.

Anyway, I also picked up a recipe card for No Fail Sugar Cookies, and having made them once, I won't make any other. The dough is easy to work with, can be re-rolled multiple times, and holds its shape in the oven. You can easily halve the recipe if desired (it will still make a ton of cookies).

6 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups butter (4 sticks)
2 eggs

1. Cream sugar and butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and flavoring. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to butter mixture. Mix well.

2. Put a handful of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to desired thickness. Repeat with rest of dough. Put the rolled dough, including parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer. Your dough will be chilled and ready to cut and bake with no wait and no added flour! Repeat with scraps after cutting cookies.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.