The Perfect Sugar Cookie...Finally

Y'all, I freaking love sugar cookies, especially the sugar cookies you find at Wal-Mart. They are my kryptonite. I have always wanted to find the perfect sugar cookie, well y'all I think I may have found it.

When I was in college, my last semester, I became really close with one of my married friends, she is southern through and through. I love her to death. Anyways, we loved hanging out with each other and we never felt like we had time to. So, we decided we would dedicate everything Thursday night to girl's night. I called this the Original Rexburg Girl's Night because these were my first friends I made while I was in Rexburg, they are also all married. It seemed like each girl's night we would make treats and talk. I loved girl's night, and severely miss it, and them (secretly crying inside because of it). This is where this recipe was born.

You will not believe where this recipe came from, Lion House with a few Tierney tweaks. As my aunt would always say, a recipe can always get better with a few tweaks, but majority of it is the original recipe. This is all I'm going to say about this recipe...try it, you'll thank me.

Also, small rant. I hate blogs where they give recipes, but it takes a MILLION years to find the recipe. So, I am not going to be that person, the recipe is literally below the pictures...you can thank me later.

Cookies:

Ingredients:

2 c. sugar

1 c. shortening

3 eggs

1 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon extract

6 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside

- In a large mixer bowl cream sugar, shortening, and eggs

- Add milk, vanilla, and lemon extract; mix at low speed

- In a separate bowl, mix flour, slat, baking soda, and baking powder

- Add to the sugar mixture until well incorporated

- Roll out 1/2" thick

- Cut out in desired shapes (depending on season)

- Bake for 7 minutes - be careful not to overbake (they will get crunch, and no one likes crunch sugar cookies)

- Frost with cream cheese frosting

Icing:

Ingredients:

16 oz. cream cheese (blocked cream cheese)

1/2 c. butter (softened)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 lb. pkg. powdered sugar

Food Coloring (optional)

Directions:

- Cream together the cream cheese and butter

- Add in vanilla; mix until incorporated

- Slowly add the powered sugar until reaching desired consistency

- Add food coloring if desired

Enjoy the best sugar cookie (insert drooling emoji face)