Best Ever Sugar Cookies

1 cup softened butter (not margarine .... butter is better cos it makes a better batter)
2 cups sugar (now you know why they are called Sugar Cookies)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla (the real stuff, not the fake crappy stuff)
4 1/2 cups of flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla, and beat well. Combine flour with baking powder and salt, and blend into creamed mixture. Divide dough in quarters, and wrap in Saran Wrap (or something) and chill for at least an hour. (This can be kept in the fridge for a few days, or frozen for a while.)
On lightly floured surface, roll each piece to 1/8" for thin crispy cookies, or 1/4" for thicker softer cookies. Cut into desired shapes, and place on ungreased cookie sheet - we use parchment paper. Bake thin cookies at 375 for 7 -8 minutes, and thick cookies for 10 - 12 minutes.

For class cookies, we cut the dough into 3" circles, and with a seasonal cookie cutter, press the imprint into the middle of the circle. After baking, use the imprint as a guide to squeezing a line of frosting, then decorate as desired. Fits really nicely into a paper CD envelope, which you can fun up with stickers or markers.

MY 10 cents worth:

• Please don't use fake ingredients if you want a yummy cookie. No fake vanilla, no fake choco chips.
• If recipe calls for shortening, don't use margarine or even butter. Each one has its place - only use what's called for each specific recipe. Crisco Butter Flavor is my favourite shortening for baking
• If recipe says Sift Flour - then Sift Flour. (I just shake mine through a metal sieve.) However, this recipe doesn't ask for sifted flour, so you just spoon spoonfuls of flour into measuring cup and level off top with flat part of knife. DO NOT just put the cup in and scoop out the flour - that's a BAD way to measure.
• Don't over bake. With our dollar store oven, we have learned to drop the temp by at least 50 degrees, and the time by a few minutes. These cookies I leave in for 9 minutes. They look a bit underdone, but that's the way to have them.
• This recipe is double the original. Don't see the sense in making just enough for a snack, to tell the truth. They won't last diddly-squat anyway.