In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Beat until creamy. Add in eggs, vanilla and almond extract and mix together until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Split dough in two and place in saran wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Do not skip this step.
Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick on a baker's mat or a clean counter top. I like to sprinkle some powdered sugar on the rolling pin so the dough doesn't stick.
Cut with cookie cutters and then place onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the center is barely set. Do not let the edges or bottoms brown. Watch carefully the last minute of baking. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.
Allow to cool and then frost as desired.
Notes
This recipe has been updated. Find our soft sugar cookie recipe with sour cream here.An optional icing to use is this cream cheese frosting.Freezer instructions: Place on a pan and freeze cookies for 30 minutes. Once hard you can stack in a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to place a piece of parchment paper in between each layer.