Brooks Breads Cafe Sour Cream Spice Cookies

3/4 pound butter
1 1 /2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 3/4 cups minus one tablespoon flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground mace
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon fine orange zest

Cream butter with mixer at high speed for 2 minutes until creamy. Scrape sides of bowl. Continue beating. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl between additions. Add sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.

At lower speed, add remaining ingredients. Mix only until incorporated. Put cookie dough onto a sheet pan and refrigerate until dough is firm (at least an hour; the colder the better).

When ready to roll, heat oven to 350 degrees F and flour work surface well. Take a piece of dough and form it into a ball, removing any cracks or seams. Roll out evenly. Use flour liberally, but brush off excess before baking. Cut into desired shapes.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F until edges are light brown. Center will be soft to the touch, but dough will spring back without leaving an imprint.

Makes about 30 cookies.