Brown Sugar Cookies

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl either with a stand mixer (with the blade attachment) or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until completely combined, scraping down the sides partway through if needed. Add in the dry ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. (You don’t want to over-beat this dough.)

Form the dough into a ball, and place it on a large, lightly-floured hard surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Then use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes, re-rolling the dough as needed to cut out more. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-covered baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes to chill the dough.

Once the dough is nice and firm, transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just barely begin to turn golden. Remove from heat and let the cookie rest on the tray for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire baking rack to cool completely.

Enjoy the cookies immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

To Make The Icing: Whisk all ingredients together until combined. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency. If it is too thick, add a touch more milk.

Use immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container. (The icing sets up as it sits, so you will need to give it a good whisk and maybe pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it back up after being refrigerated.)