Soft Buttermilk Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Don't hate me for using so much white sugar everyone, I promise not to do it too often! These are delightfully light and at the same time super sweet and buttery. Enjoy.

Soft Buttermilk Sugar Cookies
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. white sugar (I used organic)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk (or yogurt, or sour cream)
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the butter with the sugar until the sugar is completely incorporated. Add your egg and blend very well - until the mixture lightens in color. Add your buttermilk, mix well. Scrape down bowl and mix again.
In a separate bowl combine your flour, baking soda and salt, mix well or sift together. Add your dry ingredients to your wet and mix until incorporated. Don't overdo it or your cookies will be tough.
Roll dough out to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet or silicone mat and bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes (depending on size). When done the bottom of the cookie should have just barely started to brown.

Vanilla Bean Frosting
1 softened cube of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 -3 T. milk
pinch of salt
1 t. vanilla bean paste
1/2 t. almond extract

Cream your butter and 1 c. of powdered sugar. Mix until it is an even, smooth paste. Add the extract, vanilla bean paste and 1 T. of milk. Mix well and alternate with the rest of the milk and powdered sugar until you have your desired thickness. Spread on cooled cookies (or any number of other baked items).