# What You’ll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
06 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Rolling and Decorating
08 - Additional flour, for rolling
09 - Royal icing, colored sugars, or sprinkles (optional)
# Step-by-Step:
01 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
02 - Add egg and vanilla extract, beating until thoroughly incorporated.
03 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl.
04 - Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until soft dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, flatten each portion into disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate minimum 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk to ¼-inch thickness and cut shapes with cookie cutters.
08 - Place cut cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake 8-10 minutes until edges begin turning golden.
10 - Let cookies rest on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool fully before decorating.
11 - Finish with royal icing, colored sugars, or sprinkles as desired.
