My cookies suck!

I got a sugar cookie recipe off the internet yesterday. I don't know what happened but.. they didn't exactly brown when I baked them... it should've taken about 6-8 minutes to cook but they didn't brown till 15 minutes later. They tasted so bad !!
they...

were dry and white.. what did I do wrong?
if it helps .. heres the recipe
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening or butter*
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Early in the day or the day before:
In a large bowl cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, extract, and milk. In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl. Mix with mixer until well combined. With hands, shape dough into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll** half or 1/3 dough at a time, keep the rest refrigerated. For crisp cookies, roll dough, paper thin. For softer cookies, roll 1/8 to 1/4 thick. With floured cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Re-roll trimmings and cut.

Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheets. Decorate*** Bake 8 minutes or until very light brown. With pancake turner, remove cookies to racks; cool. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

please tell me what I did wrong
thanks

Well, 'very light brown' means exactly that.
If you were waiting for them to turn a golden brown, you waited too long...sugar cookies are not suppose to 'brown', and as a matter of fact, that tip should never have been included in the recipe.

Next time, follow the time guidelines - 8 minutes is well enough time for them to bake through, and keep in mind that cookies actually continue baking even after they're removed from the oven

Another thing - make sure you opt for butter rather than shortening, which can also make them dry.

To me, baking is an art I've yet to master! lol Your recipe looks about right to me, and the problems you had were pretty common. Over mixing the dough, having too much salt in the dough or over baking them will cause your cookies to be dry and hard. Baking your cookies in too cool of an oven can stop them from browning. I'd say you baked your cookies too long at the wrong temperature. Make sure you give your oven plenty of time to preheat so your cookies are baked at the correct temperature. Try again, don't give up. Baking takes practice and patience.