Sour Cream Cutouts Cookies

Each Christmas I end up making these for the many parties that we go to, and each year I'm asked if I'll be bringing them again. Naturally, I use christmas cookie cutters for them (usually a star, bell, and tree) and then sprinkle green or red sugar crystals over the top. Anywho, here's the recipe from Taste of Home.

TIME: Prep: 25 min. + chilling. Bake: 10 min.

*

COOKIES:

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

*

FROSTING: 1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

*

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Chill dough at least 2 hours or overnight. Roll on a heavily floured surface to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a 3-in. cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched. Cool. Mix all frosting ingredients until smooth; spread over cookies. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

*

Extra Notes:

You've got to work quickly while the dough is super cold, or else it gets sticky really fast. I use a pastry brush to brush all the flour off the cookies before baking them, and that way they aren't as dry. I also often put more powdered sugar in the frosting to make it firmer and go further. You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to a couple days, but any longer than that and it will start to discolor. Lastly, I sometimes use a little bit of almond flavoring in place of some of the vanilla - in both the dough and the frosting.