The Bestest Sugar Cookies

Pumpkin cookie (these looked the best)

Thick & Yummy

Aerial View (I didn't have black food coloring so it's kinda hard to tell what the witch is)

These are the sugar cookies that I grew up with and they aren't just the memories that make them good. They are favorite. They are so soft and scrumptious! Garrett even likes them and he doesn't like sugar cookies! I decided to make these sugar cookies for the kids in our sunday school class as a Halloween treat. If you make this recipe you have to promise not to use store bought frosting on these bad boys because in my opinion it ruins them ;-)

P.S. I'm not the best froster ...

*SECRET TIP: I make my sugar cookie dough 2 days before I want them and I bake and frost the cookies the night before I need them.  You have to store them in an air tight container though or they will dry out.  For some reason these cookies are softer the next day!

Sugar Cookies (Recipe from: Momma Weight)
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sour cream
5-6 cups flour (I usually use 5 because you add more flour when you roll them out)

1. Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs.
2. Add vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, and sour cream until well mixed.
3. Add the flour gradually. (If it seems sticky don't worry because you will add more flour when you roll it out)
4. Refrigerate OVERNIGHT.
5. Preheat oven to 375.
6. Sprinkle countertop with flour so dough won't stick.
7. Grab a hunk of dough and place it on the floured countertop (you will want to do this in batches because it makes a lot of cookies)
8. Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough and around the edges so it won't stick to the rolling pin.
9. The more you work with the dough and the more flour you add the tougher the cookies will be.
10. Spread dough out to about 1/4 inch thick (because thick sugar cookies are the yummiest!)
11. Cut your shapes out of the dough and place on cookie sheet.
12. Bake for 9 minutes, let cool on a wire rack. (If cookies brown around the edges you may want to reduce the cooking time so they don't get overcooked and hard)
13. Wait to frost the cookies until they are completely cool or else the frosting will melt.
14. Frost with frosting and store in airtight container. (I don't like to leave the cookies out too long or else they will dry out)

Frosting
1/3 cup softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar
3 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract (this is the secret ingredient)

1. Whip ingredients together until fluffy. Add food coloring if desired.