Sugar Cookies Recipes times two, with varieties

Adapted from two allrecipes.com submissions (I improved them).

Ingredients (makes 60 cookies)

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened (3 sticks butter)
  
• 3 cups white sugar or 2 cups white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• optional: (for lightly spiced cookies) 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger
• optional: (for lemony cookies), replace vanilla extract with lemon extract, add zest of 1 lemon
  
• optional: (for gingery cookies) add 1/2 cup chopped crystalized ginger to mix before refrigeration
  
• optional: (for almondy cookies) add almond extract instead of vanilla extract
  

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Original recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx
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This next recipe is better as it doesn't require refrigeration:

Ingredients: (makes 48 cookies)
2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter softened (2 sticks butter)
1.5-2 cups sugar
1 egg (or 2 depending on how eggy you want it - can add just additional egg white so it's not so dry)
2 tsp vanilla extract
optional varieties (see above)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Note: I am particularly fond of the gingery and lemony variants. For ease of baking, you can use parchment paper on the cookie sheets. It also simplifies clean-up.

Original recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Let me know how they turn out!