Buttery Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth

These buttery cookies are among our favorites. Make the dough a day ahead and chill it. It's easier to work with. You can even freeze it for as long as you wish. You can decorate with  edible glitter, wonderful colors of decorator icing, and different sprinkles. There are lots of options in the baking section of your supermarket to make your Christmas roll out cookies spectacular. Paste food coloring comes in more vibrant colors than the typical liquid coloring.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened (NO substitutes)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Yield: 36 cookies

DIRECTIONS:

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, orange juice, and vanilla and beat well to combine. Sift flour and baking powder and add to butter mixture. Mix until a dough forms. Cover and chill dough until firm, about 2-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough, 1/2 at a time, on a well-floured surface, with stockinet covered rolling pin, to a 1/4" thickness. Cut with shaped cookie cutters.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes until very lightly brown.

When cookies have cooled, frost with Buttercream Frosting (directions below), tinted different colors with liquid or paste food coloring. I love making the Santa hats.


BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
 1 cup butter, softened

 6-7 cups powdered or confectioner's sugar

 1/4 tsp. salt

 6-9 Tbsp. milk

 2 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
In​ a large bowl, cream butter until very fluffy.
Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and salt and beat again.
Continue adding sugar and milk in small batches, alternately, beating until very fluffy; this will take about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.
 Have fun creating colorful, tasty, Christmas treats. If you have leftover frosting, put it between graham crackers for a fabulous after-school snack for your kids (or you!).

To freeze cookie dough, prepare and divide into four portions. Shape each portion into a 1/2" thick disc. Freeze on waxed paper lined cookie sheets, then pack into hard sided freezer containers. Label; freeze up to 6 months. To thaw and bake, let freezer container stand at room temperature for about an hour. One at a time, use each disc, rolling out and cutting cookies (keep remaining dough covered).

Keep a big plateful of cookies out for kids and guests. They'll love 'em and Santa will appreciate it too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ...  HAPPY  HANUKKAH ... HAPPY HOLIDAYS