Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons clabber girl baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons cream or 3 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
sugar (optional)

Preparation

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Cut in butter until fine.
Add egg, cream (or evaporated milk), and vanilla.
Roll out dough evenly on to a lightly floured surface. (I separate my dough into 3 pieces and roll each piece to 1/4 inch thickness.).
Sprinkle with sugar. (I usually skip this step if I plan to frost the cookies).
Cut out with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (The cookies do not really spread much, so about an inch apart is fine.).
Bake at 400F for 5 - 8 minutes or until edges just start to brown. (In my oven 6 minutes is perfect - the cookie is firm, but not over-cooked and the bottoms are just-browned.).
Remove to cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.