butter cookies

I make these cookies about 3 times a year, and whenever I do, we cannot get enough of these rich little things. Granted, everyone has their favorite sugar cookie recipe, but I must proclaim that this one is mine. It's what my mother made for us growing up, and while my icing isn't applied with the same graceful hand, they still are dang tasty. Here's the hopefully-not-secret-recipe:

1/2 c butter
1 c granulated sugar
1 egg
1T lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and gradually beat into butter mixture until well blended. Tint with food coloring if desired (while these cookies can stand alone without icing, I do like the colored frosting more than just a colored cookie). Divide dough in half, flattened into a 1" disc and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

Heat oven to 375º. Roll dough on floured surface to 1/8" thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet (I always lay down tin foil so I don't have to clean the sheet afterwards). Bake 8 - 10 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Cool.

Icing:
Beat 1.5 c powdered sugar and 1 egg white 3-5 minutes until icing is glossy. Add a few drops of water if icing is too stiff, or more powdered sugar if icing is too thin. Tint with food coloring. Pipe icing using decorator tips or spread and decorate with colored sugar. (I have found that I need to double this recipe to easily ice all the cookies - nothing wrong with laying it on thick!)