The Best Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Cookies:.

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover & refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375°F Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 5-10 minutes depending on how you like them. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Frosting:.

Beat the butter, add sifted sugar & mix well. Add the vanilla, enough milk to reach the consistency you want & the tint to desired colour.

Spread the frosting over the cookies using a pallet knife. Allow to sit for a few minutes then add sprinkles. Don't use the sprinkles right after frosting or they will absorb moisture & leach their colour!

Glaze:.

Stir confectioners' sugar, milk and extract in small bowl until smooth. Stir in corn syrup until glaze is smooth and glossy. (If glaze is too thick, stir in small amount of additional corn syrup.)

Stir in 3 to 4 drops food color until evenly distributed and glaze is smooth. Add additional drops of food color until glaze is of desired color.

To glaze cookies, place cooling rack on foil-lined baking sheet. Holding a cookie by its edge, dip the top of cookie into glaze. (Or spoon the glaze onto cookies using a teaspoon. Cookies can also be glazed using a new small paintbrush.) Place glazed cookies on cooling rack to dry. (The foil-covered baking sheet will catch any drips.)

Use contrasting glaze colors to decorate glazed cookies, if desired. Place small amount of contrasting glaze in small resealable plastic bag. Snip off tiny piece of the corner of the plastic bag. Create design by squeezing contrasting glaze onto cookies. Allow glazed cookies to dry thoroughly before stacking.

If you would like more than one color of glaze, divide untinted glaze among separate small bowls. Tint each one a different color by stirring in 1 to 2 drops food color until evenly distributed and glaze is smooth. Add additional drops food color until glaze is of desired color. (.

If cookie is decorated with contrasting glaze before glazed cookie is allowed to dry, glaze colors will blend slightly, creating a softer, more muted design).

Allow glaze to dry before storing cookies in airtight containers.

Note: Use glaze soon after preparing. Do not refrigerate glaze, as it will begin to harden.