This is my beloved grandma's recipe, taken up a notch. This recipe is everything a holiday cookie should be: rich, flavorful and a great vessel for frosting. Use high-quality butter like Kerrygold. It makes all the difference.

HOLIDAY BUTTER COOKIES

Cookie dough:

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cane sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) salted good quality butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Frosting:

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon salted butter at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cream 

Food coloring, if desired

Sift the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Stir in the salt. Cream the butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment of a KitchenAid. Add the egg and extracts, and mix until combined. Add the flour and cream in alternate batches and mix until combined. Flatten the dough into a disk and seal in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled throughout.

Set oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 400 degrees. Flour your counter generously and roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to a cookie sheet lined with a silicon baking sheet.

Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until the edges are light brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl except the cream. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and gradually add more until you reach your desired consistency. Add the food coloring, if desired. I like to transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with decorative tips. 

Yields 1 to 2 dozen