Best Ever Sugar Cookies Recipe   From The Cookie Party Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Cookie Exchange St. Martin's Press/Macmillan by Robin Olson (www.cookie-exchange.com) This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe, and the cutouts hold their shapes very well, along with tasting great!

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Dough
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cups (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) butter
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2½ tablespoons milk

Icing 1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar
Milk or cream to thin
Red and green food coloring
Multicolored sprinkles

In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy, then add the milk.

Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients and mix into the creamed mixture until well blended. Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, and wrap in wax paper. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface or pastry rolling mat, to a thickness of ¼ inch. Cut out the dough with cookie cutters of your choice.

Transfer to the lined baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, make the icing. In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cream of tartar. Stir in milk or cream a little at a time, to thin to the desired consistency. Put some of the icing in two other separate bowls and tint with red and green food coloring, leaving some white, too.

When the cookies have cooled, spread with the icing. Use multicolored sprinkles to decorate the iced cookies. Place the decorated cookies on wire racks to allow the icing to dry for a few hours before storing in an airtight container.   Makes 6 dozen cookies, using 3-inch cutters.