roly poly santa cookies and the easiest all purpose sugar cookie dough

(DON'T MIND THE GREATLY USED SILPAT!)

Its time for all those x-mas cookies and the kid knows it for sure this year. I love christmas and having a kid is like living the magic all over again. This sugar cookie dough was so easy to whip together, no egg which made littlefoodie happy to indulge in eating that dough. Also, which is a great bonus is that it can be made vegan with non dairy margarine like Earth's Balance, which I love. The dough itself is sturdy and can be shaped and colored into just abut anything you can think of. When they were done it was buttery and flaky and yummy. Make sure to use quality flour and butter and sugar as the ingredient list is pretty minimal you want to get the most out of the flavors.

ENJOY!

1 cup margarine or butter, room temp.
1/2 organic pure cane sugar
1 tbl milk or half and half
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour-King Arthur Flour results in the best product!
red paste food coloring
raisins, diced up for little eyes and buttons
White frosting of your choice

Preheat oven to 350F.
In the mixer beat butter until light and fluffy. Add in sugar and beat to combine. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add flour and beat to combine. Remove 1 cup of dough and set aside. Tint the rest of the dough with red food coloring and stir until its the color you want your little Santa to be.
So, who wants boring measurements on how to roll balls the right size. Not I. Then- roll the balls in different sizes to make body parts. You will need a red belly ball-slightly larger than the rest. A white head-slightly smaller then the belly. 4 small balls for the arms and legs. 4 even small white dough balls for the hands and feet. Shape the red dough for Santa's hat. Arrange them together on the baking sheet and don't let them run away with the gingerbread men! That's done!
Put them together.
Cut the raisins up small enough for the eyes and buttons and place on cookie.
Bake 12-15 minutes.
Remove and cool.
When cool pipe your frosting of choice for the little ball on his hat, whiskers and beard, sleeves, pants and jacket.
Now eat them!