How to Bake Simple Sugar Cookies

A kid-friendly guide to mixing, rolling, and baking classic sugar cookies from scratch. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Cream the butter and sugar. In your large bowl, mix the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Ask a grown-up to help you if you are using an electric mixer.
2. Add the wet ingredients. Crack the egg into the bowl and add the vanilla extract. Stir everything together until it is smooth.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients. Slowly add the flour and baking powder. Stir until a soft dough forms. If the dough feels too sticky, you can add a tiny bit more flour.
4. Roll and cut. Lightly flour your counter. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use your cookie cutters to press out fun shapes.
5. Bake the cookies. Place your shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Ask a grown-up to put them in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are just barely golden.