Sugar Cookies - The No Chill Version

While the grandkids were visiting we thought it would be a fun idea to make Valentine sugar cookies. Our schedule didn't allow time for chilling, so I looked to see if there was a "no chill" recipe we could try, and I found one. The trick is to have cold ingredients (butter, half and half, and eggs). However, it's very difficult to combine cold butter with sugar. I don't think we'll try the "no chill" version again, but we did like the taste of these cookies, so maybe we'll try again with soft butter and then chill the dough before rolling them out.

No Chill Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup butter, sliced into tablespoon portions before mixing
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons half and half (or milk)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract or peppermint extract
• 3 large eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the half and half, extract and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and mix into the dough. Chill until firm. Roll out and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Let cool on pan for five minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Frost and decorate as desired.

It took a while, but eventually the dough did combine.