Polly wrote:

>I am a cookie champion. People kill for
> cookies I've baked. Okay. That's a slight
> exaggeration but I've never had a
> leftover. However . . . my attempts with
> cookies that should be rolled out and
> cut? No success. Are there some
> technical tricks or something Moma
> taught you that I've missed? I do have a
> nice slab of marble and I could put it in
> the freezer for a while if cold surface
> would help. Maybe I need a better
> weapon to slide the cut cookies to the
> cookie sheet. I always wind up with
> what looks like ragged pasta. What am I
> missing?

I have two main cut out cookie recipes I have used for years with
perfect results, and call them both No-Fail recipes. The good news is,
neither have to be chilled, and yet the dough handles beautifully. I use
a Tupperware (plastic) pastry sheet, but I don't believe they make them
anymore, so I look for them at yard sales, and my son got me one on eBay
awhile back, as they don't last forever. Honestly though, am sure you
would have no trouble using a pastry board, but just make sure it's
floured well, and also is easier to cut the shapes perfectly and execute
the dough from them, if dip the cutter into flour.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter (I use salted)
1/2 cup margarine (I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten well
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt (I cut in half)
4 tsp. baking powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. milk

I beat the ingredients in my Kitchen Aid mixer, so first I beat the eggs
up in the bowl, and add the butter, margarine and sugar and mix
thoroughly. Add vanilla and milk and beat in, and I beat in half the
flour (low speed) and add remaining flour with baking powder and salt
and mix just till a soft dough forms. DO NOT CHILL. I roll out about a
quarter of the dough at a time, to about 1/8 inch thick (I generally
like them a little thicker) and cut with cutters. The scraps of dough
re-roll out nicely without making the cookies "tough". Bake on ungreased
sheets at 400º about 8 minutes, till brown around the edges. I'm
strange, but I like mine a little over-done, as think the flavor is
better, and are not as soft. I only bake about a dozen cookies at one
time on each sheet, as they spread out. If you frost these with a
butter frosting and put the "sprinkles" on the top, they will store
better, but I still put wax paper, or plastic wrap between the layers,
so don't stick together. When I make the frosting, I like it with a
little almond AND vanilla flavorings in it, but suit your own taste.
Depending on the size of the cutter, I get around 30-34 cookies per
batch. This dough recipe doubles well too.
NOTE: Be sure and use butter AND margarine both, and not all butter, or
the texture will be different if you don't.

This is another tried 'n' true recipe from a Taste Of Home magazine 17
years ago.

Deluxe Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (I use salted, as I do for all my baking, unless it calls
for unsalted)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Beat together in electric mixer bowl, the butter, sugar, egg and
extracts. Add half the flour and mix in on low. Add remaining flour,
soda and cream of tartar and beat on low just till blended into a smooth
dough. Roll out a quarter of the dough at a time on a floured surface
(they say to use powdered sugar instead of flour, but I never have).
Roll to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cutters.
(re-roll the scraps of dough, till all is used up). Place on ungreased
sheets. Bake at 350º until edges begin to brown, about 8 minutes, or
so. Can sprinkle with colored sugar before baking, but I like also to
frost them with a vanilla butter icing, tinted with different colors and
put the colored "sprinkles" on the frosting before it dries. Makes about
3-1/2 dozen.

Good Luck!
Judy