Let's Make a Memory, Y'all.

Last weekend Sophia informed me, "I cannot wait to make Valentine's cookies with you!"
I was all, "Say what?  Valentine's Cookies?"   And then I searched my memory for a time in the past when we had made Valentine's cookies and came up with nothing, but she insisted that cookies were called for.  And apparently I didn't take much convincing.  I dug up my best sugar cookie recipe, and we all got down to business last night.

EVERY girl wanted to be involved.

It turned out that this was a pretty excellent way to spend a Friday evening.

And we all "felt the love" before it was all said and done.

Now about that recipe...

Best Ever Sugar Cookies

(Courtesy of the Family Fun Cookbook guaranteed to 'unleash the creative cookie monster in anyone.')

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the egg and beat well, then mix in the vanilla extract.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Add the flour mixture, one third at a time, until thoroughly combined.

Divide the dough into two equal portions and flatten each into a disc.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or as long as your patience will allow, making sure the dough is cold enough to work with.  (We never manage to wait a whole two hours!)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out the cookies by hand or with cutters.  Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.

Cool completely before adding frosting.  Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month before frosting and decorating and for up to three days at room temperature.  (They never last three days at my house .)

Most importantly, enjoy!!  

Life is too short to not make the Valentine's cookies!
(Example of "Creative Cookie Monster" below)