Sugar Cookies

Ever since I can remember I have had a love for baking. I think it started when I was little and baked with my grandma. I have a lot of memories baking with her, and with that have started to make lots of memories baking with my 7 year old niece. I started baking with her when she was about 2 years old, so that she would get use to being in the kitchen and learn the safety rules when it comes to baking or cooking. We bake anything from cookies, to cakes, to cinnamon buns to bread.

When I first started baking with her we started off with sugar cookies. I felt like it was something that I was easily about to adjust to her age. We would get all set up in aprons, ready to get messy. She helped me pour the ingredients into the bowl, and mix everything together. Her attention span was very short I would give her some cookie cutters to play with while she waited for the dough to be ready. Once the dough was ready I would give her a nice piece, a child size rolling pin and some cookie cutters so that she could play with it and make some of her own cookies. She also loved - and still loves! - putting sprinkles on the cookies before putting them into the oven. Now that she is seven, she pretty much does all of it by herself. She has the "I can do it all by myself attitude", which I love.

Here is the recipe that we like using

2/3 cup butter 1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar 3 tsp baking powder

2 eggs 2 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add vanilla and dry ingredients. Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and back at 375 for 8-10 minutes (Edges should just be starting to get brown).

Enjoy!