Recipe: Aunt Irma's Sugar Cookies

Aunt Irma's Sugar Cookies
Rec.food.cooking/Michelle (2001)
Source: Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book
Makes approx. 4-5 dozen

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled & sliced*
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

* MUST use butter. NO substitutes!

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Place 1 cup of the sugar in a large bowl and cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat until blended. Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface, adding just enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350?F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Using your hands. Roll the dough into walnut size balls. Roll them in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Place 12 balls on each cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a glass dipped into the sugar, flatten each ball to about 1/4 inch thickness. Bake until light brown,12-15 minutes.