Basic Sugar Cut out Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 cups plain flour

spices

• chocolate chips (optional) or ground ginger, etc (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Cream together sugar and butter (can use all butter or half and half like I do).

2. 2

   Beat in the egg and vanilla.

3. 3

   If using spices add them at this point, I like a combination of 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp of cinnamon and half a tsp of allspice. but have also made them using a cup of chocolate chips.

4. 4

   Add in the flour a cup at a time (if you are finding it a little dry add a tsp or so of water).

5. 5

   Roll out between two sheets of baking paper (thanks wife2abadge for this tip!) and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

6. 6

   I roll out about half a centimetre thick (I'm in Europe and don't do inches, sorry!) when cutting out and put on an ungreased cookie sheet.

7. 7

   Bake at 400 for about 6-10 minutes, the time taken depends on the size of cutters you have used.

8. 8

   Cool for a minute on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack before decorating.

9. 9

   (This is just a personal note for me! 1 cup butter = 225g).