I found these recipes on allrecipes.com (cookie recipe by Jill Saunders and frosting by Kathy Brandt) and have become quite passionate about these cookies. While the recipe belongs to those 2 ladies, I have added a few details that I think are crucial to the overall effect. These are great holiday, birthday and baby shower cookies, as well as I’m-Sorry-I-Was-Such-A-Jerk-When-You-Got-Home-Last-Night cookies. I even sent some to work with David and they turned into currency for the computer software engineers black market.

COOKIES:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour (overnight is great too.)

Preheat oven for 400 degrees and roll out dough on floured surface about ¼-1/2” thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter. Bake 6-8 min on ungreased cookie sheet and cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:

4 cups powdered sugar

½ cup butter (room temperature)

5 TBSP milk

1 tsp vanilla

Food coloring and colorful sprinkles—I like pink, green and yellow.

Cream together sugar and butter and gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with electric mixer until frosting becomes smooth and stiff (about 5 minutes). Divide frosting in a few different bowls and color with a few drops of food coloring to create pastel colors. Frost cooled cookies and top with sprinkles.