The fluffy butter icing melts in your mouth as you take a bite of these cookies. The variations are endless and you can use your imagination for cookie shapes, icing colors and seasonal themes. Mini-heart cookies are romantic and you can write messages with the icing. Butter can be softened slightly in the microwave if you tend to keep it in the freezer. This is a simple butter cookie recipe, which makes enough cookies for a party or quite a few gift bags. For Valentine's Day make pink-iced cookies in heart shapes. Let the frosting dry, then place in clear cellophane bags and add a gift tag. This dough also makes the cutest Christmas cookies. Cut out tree shapes and ice with green or pink icing. Sprinkle with nonpareils and arrange on a large doily-lined foil platter. Plain cookies could also be dipped in melted chocolate and then chopped nuts.

Buttery Cookie Dough

    3/4 cup butter, softened
    1 cup granulated sugar
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
    1 teaspoon salt

Smooth Butter Icing

    1/2 cup butter
    4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
    2-8 drops food coloring or no coloring
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
    3 1/2 tablespoons fat-free milk

1.  Cookie dough: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter and
     sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

2.  Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt over the
     creamed butter; beat on low speed just until a dough forms.

3.  Place the cookie dough in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to firm the
     dough. This is a good time to make the icing.

4.  Preheat the oven to 350 .

5.  Icing: In a medium bowl, cream the butter, then add
     confectioners' sugar on low speed. Add food coloring, vanilla
     and enough milk to make a firm creamy icing. Beat 1 minute
     until fluffy. Set aside until needed.

6.  Roll dough out on a well-floured breadboard. Cut out shapes with
     your favorite cookie cutters. Use a pancake turner to transfer
     cookies to nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in
     the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes.

7.  Decorate: Ice cookies, then set on a large plate. Leave to dry, then
     cover with plastic wrap or arrange in bags for gifts.

     Variation 1: Make half the dough chocolate by adding
     3 ounces melted Valrhona Manjari, 2 tablespoons dark brown
     sugar and 1 teaspoon black cocoa to half the dough.

     Variation 2: Divide and color with natural food coloring or
     leave plain, divide the frosting and color each bowl with a
     different color, e.g., red and green for Christmas. In October,
     color all the dough orange and cut out pumpkins. In the
     summer, use daisy shaped cookie cutter, make plain sugar
     cookies and make a royal icing by beating 3 tablespoons
     meringue powder, 4 cups confectioners' sugar and 5 to 7
     tablespoons water. Color icing in pastel colors. Spread with
     one color, pipe white icing along the edges.

    Variation 3: Flavor the dough with almond extract; bake and
     then ice and top with sliced almonds.

     Variation 4: Make round chocolate and vanilla cookies. Set
     alternating flavors in paper cups. Tie with a bow.

     Note: If you are packing these in boxes or tins, let the
     icing dry overnight. Set iced cookies on plates and
     cover with plastic wrap.

Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter