Santa Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. If necessary, cover and chill about 30 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.

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• Step 2

  On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters, one shaped as the letter H and one circle, cut dough into shapes. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

• Step 3

  Bake for 7 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack; cool.

• Step 4

  Prepare Royal Icing, divide into four bowls of about 1 1/4 cup to tint red, 3/4 cup to leave white, 2/3 cup to tint black, and 1/3 cup to tint yellow.

• Step 5

  Pipe thin red-tinted royal icing around outside of all cookies, let dry. Flood entire cookie with red-tinted icing. Sprinkle H-shape cookies with desired sprinkles, if desired. Let all cookies stand until dry. For Santa belly, use a pastry bag with a small round tip to pipe thin black-tinted icing to make the belt outline. Fill in with black icing. Repeat the outlining and filling in process using a pastry bag with a small round tip to pipe thin white icing in a beard shape. Using a pastry bag with a small round tip, pipe medium-consistency yellow-tinted icing for the belt buckle.