Christmas Cookies

A favorite holiday tradition in our family is making frosted sugar cookies. I made these cookies for my children at various holidays throughout the year, but especially at Christmas. My children loved it when I made cookies for them, and they loved to share their cookies with their friends. I even mailed boxes of cookies to college students away from home. Some families make Christmas cookies together on Christmas Eve, but my family does not because our Christmas Eves are much too busy celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. My cookie recipe is as follows: Sugar Cookies 1 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 3/4 cups sifted flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Cream shortening and sugar together well. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients which have been sifted together. Chill dough for at least three hours. Roll dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut cookies with floured cookie cutters. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cook for less time if you prefer a softer cookie. Yields about 2 1/2 cookies. I add a light icing made with a little bit of milk, lots of powdered sugar, vanilla and food coloring, plus any other decorations I desire.