The Best Sugar Cookies Award goes to....

Okay, I can't lie-these sugar cookies are not mine-at all.  Thanks to the previously incarcerated  Martha Stewart, I have found a recipe that I love, and so do many others!  Keep in mind that you will want to make the dough ahead of time so it can chill in the fridge for an hour before rolling and cutting.

The cookies are soft yet solid enough to hold the frosting, which is the best royal icing I've met to date.  It has a sort of 'snap' at first bite, but then it softens and melts in your mouth.  So great!

I made wedding cookies cut out in leaf shapes and iced them before packaging and traveling 8 hours for the wedding.  They held up during the drive, which in itself is a miracle, but they also got rave reviews from everyone at the reception.

Sugar Cookies(Martha Stewart's recipe)

Makes 2 dozen

2 cups all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons milk (or brandy)

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With mixer running, add egg, milk (or brandy), and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
2. Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
5. Decorate with Royal Icing, optional.  If using icing, allow plenty of time to dry (overnight is probably a good time)

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Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies (makes 2 1/3 cups)
(Martha Stewart's recipe)

1 pound confectioners’ sugar

5 tablespoons meringue powder

1. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder.  Mixing on low speed, add a scant ½ cup water.  For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding (or filling in the outlined cookie) add a little more water until desired thickness.  A thicker consistency is used for outlining and adding details.  Mix until icing holds a ribbon-like trail on the surface of the mixture when you raise the paddle.