Grandma Nell's Cut-Out Cookies:

The following recipe has been in my family for years!

1/2 c butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t water
1 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt

Soften butter; combine with egg yolk, water, and vanilla. Add sugar and mix well. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. (flour, baking powder, and salt) Slowly add dry ingredients, using a pastry blender to mix. Dough will be dry and crumbly.

Cover your kitchen counter with wax paper, taping edges down. Pour a mound of flour (about 1/4 cup) on the right hand corner of the wax paper - use to dust the wax paper so the dough won't stick.

Scoop out two hand-fulls of dough, making a "dough ball." Roll this ball out on the flour covered wax paper with a rolling pin covered with a stockinette sleeve. (use flour on the rolling pin sleeve, also) Roll dough to about 1/4 inch thick.

Cut out shapes with cookie cutter. Scoop cookie off wax paper with a spatula and transfer to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from over before the edges of the cookies turn brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet, then transfer to newspaper lined counter to set.

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
4 cups of powdered sugar
3 T milk


Mix together with electric mixer, adding additional milk if desired. Divide into small bowls and add food coloring.