1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Whisk flour with baking powder (sift for lighter cookies) to mix well. Stir vanilla into milk.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk. Stir until ingredients are mixed.

Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Roll out 1/4-inch thick and cut out with a large round cutter or in fancy shapes. Sprinkle with sugar or colored sugar and cinnamon, grated nuts, sugared citrus peel or candied ginger or flaked coconut, if desired.

Bake until edges are lightly golden at 375°F (about 10-15 minutes). Watch carefully starting at the 8 minute mark to avoid over-baking; reduce oven temperature if cookies are browning too quickly in your oven.

Variations:

 • Coconut Cookies: Use coconut rum instead of milk and vanilla with a coconut topping.
 • Amaretto Cookies: Use Amaretto instead of milk and vanilla with slivered or sliced almonds on top.
 • Orange Cookies: Use orange concentrate instead of milk and sweetened orange zest or marmalade on top.
 • Lemon Cookies: Use lemon extract instead of vanilla and top with lemon curd.
 • Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies: Sprinkle tops with chopped macadamia nuts; dip top in tempered or dipping chocolate when cool.
 • Maple Walnut Cookies: Substitute butter-rum schnapps for vanilla and maple syrup for milk; Top cookies with chopped walnuts. Or sprinkle with maple sugar, if available. Cut cookies in the shape of a maple leaf.

Submitted by: CM