Sugar Cookies – from Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Mix and cool to room temperature: 2 c butter, melted (.472 l or 472 ml) 2 c powdered sugar – unsifted 1 c granulated sugar Add 2 beaten eggs Add and mix in: 2 t. vanilla 1 t lemon zest (optional) 1 t baking soda 1 t cream of tartar 1 t salt 4 ¼ c flour Add in increments (I added all at once) and stir after each addition

Refrigerate 1 hour to overnight (best)

½ c white sugar to roll the cookies in (or any other type of sugar)

Heat oven to 325 (about 163C). Form dough into walnut size balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased sheets (or parchment covered). Flatten (I forgot to and they flattened – but took longer to cook) and bake at 325 for 10 to 15 min. until tinged golden brown.

Cool 2 min then put on racks to cool.

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

DO NOT preheat oven. Dough must chill before baking.

2 cups melted butter (4 sticks) 2 cups powdered sugar (not sifted) 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (critical!) 1 teaspoon salt 4 ¼ cups flour (not sifted) 1/2 cup white sugar in a small bowl (for later) Melt butter. Add sugars and mix. Let cool to room temperature and mix in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla, lemon zest, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix well. Add flour in increments, mixing after each addition.

Chill dough for at least one hour. (Overnight is fine)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place rack in the middle of the oven.

Use hands to roll dough in walnut-sized balls. Roll dough balls in a bowl of white sugar. (Mix white sugar 2 to 1 with colored sugar for holidays -- green for St. Pat's Day, red and green for Christmas, multi-colored for birthdays.) Place on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten dough balls with a greased spatula.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (They should have a tinge of gold on the top.) Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a rack to finish cooling. They can be decorated with frosting piped from a pastry bag for special occasions or left just as they are.