Any Holiday Cookies

There's something about the Christmas season that calls for Sugar Cookies - the kind that you cut out with cookie cutters. These are the customary cookies on the plate left with a glass of milk for Santa, the ones that are chosen first at the office party, and the topping accent on a cookie basket for shut-ins.
Sugar cookies are American's 4th most popular cookie and when rolled and cut into shapes allow for creativeness that make a special treat.
At some point in food history, bakers decided the circle shape was too common and around 2000 BC Egyptians started using ceramic and wooden molds to shape biscuits and breads into shapes. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I of England had shaped cookies made in the likeness of her esteemed guests. I'm not sure how popular it was to be seen biting off your neighbor's foot! But by the next century tin cookie cutters were made to produce the popular shape of Gingerbread Men. As commercial manufacturing, plus aluminum and plastic materials, became common, cookie cutters were made in many shapes. The creative home crafts of the 1970's and 1980's found many of us decorating cookie shapes with frosting, sprinkles and food coloring.
I have a bucket of cookie cutters that includes those my mother used when I was a child, a dinosaur shape from my son's childhood, a PowerCat, and many stars, bells, trees and angels for Christmas. I make an attempt each Christmas at these cookies, and this year I think I've got it. My decorating is a little wobbly, but the effect is still tasty. Here's the secret: a wonderful recipe from a friend who brought them to the SE Area Extension Office party (thanks, Beth), King Arthur's all-purpose flour, and a meringue frosting.

Sugar Cookies
1  1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 cup margarine (I used 1/2 cup margarine, 1/2 cup butter)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
2  1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon baking soda
     Cream sugar and margarine/butter; add egg and flavorings, mix thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and stir in. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in half and roll our on a floured board to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool and decorate.

Meringue Powder Icing
1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons meringue powder
2 cups confectioners sugar
assorted food colorings
     In a medium bowl, beat water and meringue powder with a wire whisk until frothy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Divide mixture among desired number of small bowls, and whisk in desired food colorings.