what is a great recipe for making sugar cookies?

Answer 1

Here are some sites:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/valentines/recipes/sugar_cookies.htm
http://www.everydaycook.com/recipebox/cookies/sugarcookies.htm
http://baking.about.com/cs/rolledcookies/a/sugar_3.htm

Answer 2

Sugar Cookies with Options

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup butter or margarine
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

PREPARATION:
Place sugar and butter/margrine in a microwaveable bowl and heat just until melted. Add vanilla. Break egg into sugar mix bowl, whip slightly to distribute egg white and yolk, then stir into "wet mix." Sift together and add the three dry ingredients.Stir by hand until a dough is formed.

Place on waxed paper and chill until firm. (If in a hurry, pull off quarter-sized, up to 1 1/2-inch, pieces between palms of hands to form balls.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake cookies (see options below) for about 11 to 13 minutes, or until edges just begin to turn light golden brown. Watch for overbaking. Cool 1 minute, then remove from cookie sheet. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired.

And when it's summer, mix some of this dough into vanilla ice cream for Cookie Dough Ice Cream.

Options:

Colored Sugar
Mix a drop or more of food coloring with table sugar about 1/2 inch deep in a small Pyrex bowl. Stir until colored. Prepare several colors or tones of colors.

Ball Version
Place a ball of dough in Pyrex bowl and rotate around until covered by colored sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Mash down with the bottom of a drinking glass, a fork or your thumb.

Really Lazy Version
Shape dough into a roll as evenly as possible. Cut into 1/4-inch slices, place on ungreased cookie sheet and dust with colored sugar or other bottled decorations.

Decorative Version
Roll chilled dough out flat and 1/4-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to make shapes. For leaves, cut them freehand. Dust with bottled decorations or colored sugar.

Original Interiors
To above recipe, add 1/2 cup English toffee bits or chocolate chips. Form into balls and mash.

Answer 3

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.