One Year Ago: Baked Vegetable Mac and Cheese
Two Years Ago: Ghirardelli Chocolate Covered Pretzels


Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
seen on Tracey's Culinary Adventures, originally from Hostess with the Mostest

Ingredients:
-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-4 1/2 tsp baking powder
-3/4 tsp salt
-3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-3 large eggs, at room tempearture
-5 tsp vanilla extract

for the frosting-
-5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
-1/3 cup (5 1/3 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
-1 tbsp vanilla extract
-7-8 tbsp milk (plus more, if needed)
-food coloring & sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
2. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing just until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Remove dough from fridge and measure approximately 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie. Roll the doll into a ball, place on the cookie sheet, and flatten slightly (cookies will spread so don't flatten completely). Space cookies at least 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies 12-13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just set (don't overbake or you'll ruin the texture!). Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes before moving cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
6. To make the frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk in a large bowl. Whisk or beat to combine. If texture is too thick, add additional milk 1 tsp at a time (I didn't need to add any). Color frosting with food coloring, if desired. Spread frosting on cooled cookies and decorate as desired. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.