Making rollout cookies takes a bit of extra work. But these gems, which offer the double whammy of vanilla and almond flavoring — in both the dough and in the icing — are so good you’ll want to make them every year. Maybe with the grandkids?
Aunt Marilyn’s Sugar Thins
COOKIES
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
FROSTING
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup milk
- Sprinkles and decorating sugars such as Wilton’s white sparkling sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth; then mix in the egg, vanilla and almond extract.
Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches.
Shape the dough into two balls, adding a few drops of water if the dough is too crumbly.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick, making sure to keep the rolling pin constantly well-floured to prevent sticking.
Cut out cookies with cookie cutters.
Bake for 5–7 minutes or until the bottoms just start to turn a light golden brown. (Do not overbake. If anything, underbake.)
Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack after 1 minute.
Cool completely.
Mix the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and milk in a small bowl.
Add more milk or powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency.
Frost cookies and dip into sugars and sprinkles.
Eat or freeze within a week.
Sarah Jackson is editor of Good Age. Her beloved Aunt Marilyn gave her this recipe in 2010 and she’s made it every year since.