HOLIDAY COOKIES

Of the dozens of types of cookie cutters available, I prefer the simple ones made of tinned steel. They have a thin cutting edge at the bottom, and the metal at the top is rolled to protect your fingers.

The sides are deep enough for cookie doughs, almost one inch, and can also handle slices of bread for hors d’oeuvres or cake for petits fours. Best of all, the open centers let you coax the cookie dough out if--or more likely when--the tip of a star or a reindeer leg sticks.

Cutters with handles are convenient, but if the entire top is enclosed, I sometimes have trouble getting the cookie to release. And although I’m sure some of the roller cutters--with an interlocking pattern that eliminates waste--work well, I haven’t had much success with them. Some plastic cutters work well, but others don’t have sharp enough edges.

Aside from having workable cutters, the key to making cut-out cookies is the dough. It doesn’t need to be made from scratch. Some of the refrigerated and frozen sugar cookie doughs work quite well.

Other tips:

* Chill cookie dough at least an hour before cutting.

* Use a pastry cloth and rolling pin cover when rolling out dough.

* Roll out small amounts of the dough at a time and keep the rest refrigerated.

* To prevent toughness, use as little extra flour as possible when rolling out the dough.

* Occasionally dip the cookie cutters in flour.

* Cut the cookies as closely together as possible.

* To use dough scraps, just press them together and reroll. Over-handling will toughen the dough.

* Use baking sheets that have one turned-up edge, not jellyroll pans.

* After baking, cool the cookies on wire racks.

SUGAR COOKIES

This recipe from the files of The Times originally came from the Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena.

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs, beaten

3 2/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in baking soda, salt and vanilla extract. Add eggs and beat until smooth.

Combine flour and baking powder and add to creamed mixture, mixing until smooth. Chill dough until firm enough to roll out on floured pastry cloth.

Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets and bake at 450 degrees until cookies are golden, 8 minutes.

Make 10 dozen medium-size cookies. Each serving contains about:

40 calories; 34 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.01 gram fiber.