<p>Sugar Cookies – from Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke</p><p>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</p><p>Refrigerate 1 hour to overnight (best) </p><p>½ c white sugar to roll the cookies in (or any other type of sugar)</p><p>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.</p><p>Cool 2 min then put on racks to cool.</p><p>OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES</p><p>DO NOT preheat oven. Dough must chill before baking.</p><p>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.</p><p>Chill dough for at least one hour. (Overnight is fine)</p><p>Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place rack in the middle of the oven.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>