Simple Sugar Cookies

Isabella came home from school on Friday (end of her second week at school) talking about making rainbow cookies in class and wanting to make them. She was adamant that we should use a packet mix to make them but I eventually managed to persuade her that we had all the ingredients so didn't have to.
I wanted a simple recipe for plain cookies. This one looked pretty simple and had a good write up about the reasons for not over mixing.
The cookies are really nice. I will use this recipe again as a base for cookies that are going to be decorated for some theme.
I didn't bother chilling the dough down. They didn't spread too much in the cooking process.







Simple Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
scrapings from one vanilla bean
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
icing sugar for rolling

MAKE IT
IN LARGE BOWL, cream together butter and sugar on MED speed for no more than 1 minute.
ADD egg and mix only until combined
ADD vanilla bean and vanilla extract, mixing until blended
SIFT in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
MIX on low speed until the dough starts to form together; no longer than 45 seconds
PLACE piece of waxed paper on work surface
DUST it with icing sugar
PAT out dough into a disc and place on waxed paper
SPRINKLE lightly with icing sugar
PLACE another piece of waxed paper on top of dough
ROLL out dough between the waxed paper to 1/4" thickness
PLACE cookie dough, still in waxed paper, onto a cookie sheet and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hrs

PREHEAT OVEN 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper
TAKE COOKIE dough out of fridge and place back, still in waxed paper, onto work surface
REMOVE TOP LAYER of waxed paper
DIP cookie cutter edges lightly into icing sugar
CUT out desired shapes and with a hard edged spatula, lift and place on cookie sheets
BAKE 8 -10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown
ALLOW to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then gently remove with spatula and place on cooling rack.
ALLOW to cool completely (approx. 30 minutes)

Leave plain or ice with royal icing.
A great base cookie - a blank canvas - ready for decorating!