Baking cookies is one of those traditions that makes a kitchen feel like Christmas. And while there are endless recipes to choose from, a holiday baking day isn’t quite complete without a batch of classic sugar cookies. They’re sturdy enough for cutting and decorating, simple enough for kids to help with and festive enough to become a yearly favourite.

This recipe for Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies, from Butter, Flour, Sugar, Joy by Danielle Kartes, is an easy pick for a family baking afternoon — familiar, fragrant and made for sharing.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Yields two dozen cookies

Cookies

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 egg

Seeds scraped from one vanilla bean

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon salt

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 eight-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 pinch salt

4 to 6 cups confectioners’ sugar

In a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or by hand, cream the sugar, butter, and cream cheese together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about three minutes; add the egg, vanilla, almond extract and salt; mix well.

Add the flour and cream of tartar and mix by hand until it just comes together. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is best.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a quarter-inch thick rough circle and use your favourite cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

Place them on the prepared baking sheet, about two inches apart. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until set.

Continue this process until you’ve used up all the dough. Cool cookies on sheets of foil and frost once completely cool.

These cookies are delicious fresh from the oven, but Kartes says they really hit their stride once they’re frosted and left out overnight. She doesn’t put them away until the next morning, giving the icing time to settle into that soft, signature finish.

For the frosting, cream the butter, cream cheese, almond extract and salt until light and fluffy. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Kartes prefers a less-sweet icing and uses about four cups, but you can go up to six cups if you like a sweeter spread.

Feel free to tint small bowls of frosting with food colouring and let everyone decorate with sprinkles or tiny candies — the more colourful the better.