Creating stitched sugar cookies is a fun and interactive process. Follow these steps for delicious and beautiful results:

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), mixing until combined.
5. Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until combined. The dough should be smooth and firm.
6. Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. This helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.
7. Roll Out Dough: After chilling, roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick.
8. Cut Shapes: Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes for your cookies. You can use a small round cutter to create the “stitching” effect.
9. Transfer to Baking Sheet: Place the cookie shapes on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them.
10. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them to avoid over-baking.
11. Cool: Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks.
12. Decorate: Once cooled, decorate your cookies with icing, creating lovely stitch patterns or other designs as inspired by your creativity.

By following these detailed steps, you’ll have beautiful stitched sugar cookies ready to be enjoyed!