Holiday Sugar Cookies

These cookies just speak holiday to me. I love the simplicity of them, but you can decorate them any way you please. Things have been so busy for me of late...I am trying to get over yet another cold so I have not posted here for a while now...
when I look at these cookies...I find myself more in the mood for the holidays!
Sugar Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temp.
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter with sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Slowly add dry ingredients using low speed until just blended (do not over mix). Gather the dough and form into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 2 hours (dough can also be frozen for later use). Roll on lightly floured surface to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes and place on prepared sheets. Chill again for 10-15 minutes. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until edges of cookies are barely golden.

To decorate I used plain royal icing piped on to the cookies with a very small tip from a pastry bag, use any recipe you like. And I used various colored and white sugars, Nonpareils and little Nonpareil covered chocolates.