FALL CUTOUT COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Blend egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture.
• Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; mix into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator and let the dough warm to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll dough out onto a flat surface to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut dough into shapes with cookie cutters; arrange onto baking sheets.
• Bake cookies until firm in the center, but not yet browning, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool briefly on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Combine butter and sugar in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, milk and almond extract; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.
• Divide dough into thirds; place each portion into separate bowls. Add very small amount of red gel food color to 1 portion; mix well. Add additional red gel for desired color, if necessary. Repeat with remaining dough portions and gel food colors.
• Shape each dough into ball; flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate 2-3 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Working with half of each dough color (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), drop tablespoon-size pieces of dough from each color onto well-floured surface in random pattern with dough pieces touching. Roll out dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness, forming marbled design. Cut with 3-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutters.
• Place cookies, 1 inch apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with decorator sugar. Bake 7-9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack.