| 1 | Preparation time: 30 minutes chilling time: 2 to 3 hours cooking time: 7 to 8 minutes |
| 2 | Cream butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. |
| 3 | Beat in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar until mixed. |
| 4 | Divide dough in half. |
| 5 | Cover and refrigerate dough 2 to 3 hours. |
| 6 | (dough can be refrigerated up to several days; soften slightly before rolling out). |
| 7 | Heat oven to 350 degrees. |
| 8 | Have lightly greased baking sheets ready. |
| 9 | Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to almost ?~inch thick. |
| 10 | Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. |
| 11 | Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. |
| 12 | Bake until light brown on edges, 7 to 8 minutes. |
| 13 | Cool on wire racks. |
| 14 | For frosting, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in small bowl until smooth. |
| 15 | Beat in milk until spreading consistency. |
| 16 | Add food coloring as desired. |
| 17 | Use frosting to decorate cookies. |
| 18 | Let stand until frosting sets. |
| 19 | second place went to nancy rullo, of bloomingdale, for her recipe for mom"s sugar cookies in the shape of santa claus faces, iced with a cream cheese frosting and decorated in traditional holiday colors. |
| 20 | The recipe, rullo wrote, was one that her mother had found in her mother"s first cookbook. |
| 21 | As children, rullo and her brother would help cut out the santa claus shapes and watch them bake |
