Sugar Cookie Cut Outs

1 1/2 C. butter, softened
2 C. White Sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

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 powdered sugared surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on un-greased cookie sheets. **
  
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

** TRY THIS: Place parchment paper on cookie sheet. ROLL THE DOUGH OUT DIRECTLY ON THE PARCHMENT-LINED COOKIE SHEET. Make sure the dough is still chilled. After making the 'cut-outs', appropriately spaced on the dough, PEEL AWAY THE EXCESS DOUGH from around and between the 'cookies' and bake as directed. The parchment helps keep the bottoms of the cookies from getting too dark, eliminates any need for greasing the pan, allows you to remove the cookies from the sheet by simply sliding the parchment carefully off the side (which is especially helpful with extra large or delicate cookies), and CAN USUALLY BE REUSED IN BAKING THE REST OF THE COOKIES. You can also roll dough out on the parchment without having it on the cookie sheet, do the cutting and trimming, and then slide the parchment onto the sheet for baking, which helps when you're short of cookie sheets -- the next batch is ready to pop into the oven as soon as the first comes out.