Sugar Cookies

A very Happy Birthday to my boss who is also a shoe lover like myself. I made the presentation extra special by packaging them in a parchment lined shoe box.

I used Paula Deen's recipe for these cookies as well as the sugar cookies I made for Christmas.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract ( I used 1/2 tsp)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Wrap dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with assorted snowflake cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill dough 15 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes ( I baked mine 8 minutes), or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.