COOKIES!

I'm going to bake some cookies to take into work tonight as some of us are working overnight to do the Seasonal switch to SPRING... bye bye Christmas. It's going fast - everything is dwindling and whats there is there... we won't be getting anymore. It's gone WAY faster than it was expected to go I think. Been CRAZY!!!

OK... back to the cookies...

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar, DIVIDED

2 eggs

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening; add 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and flavorings, beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture; mix.

Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Press cookies with a fork to flatten. Sprinkle cookies with remaining sugar. (OK THAT PART I DON'T DO... I  DO LIKE MY GRANDMA AND GREASE THE BOTTOM OF A DRINKING GLASS AND DIP IT IN THE REMAINING SUGAR AND THEN PRESS THE COOKIES FLAT - THEY ARE FLATTENED AND SUGARED IN ONE MOVE)

Bake at 375*F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield ; 8 dozen. more like 4 1/2 Dozen for me - they must use really TINY teaspoons


I also color the topping sugar if I want. Today I will do red or green; depends on what food coloring I have in the cabinet.

I may also make Snickerdoodles... we will see how I'm doing since I will need a nap at some point to make it ALL night.

OK HERE IS THE SNICKERDOODLE RECIPE!!!!

SNICKERDOODLES

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon ground Cinnamon

(I just mix up equal parts of cinnamon and sugar  - this morning I mixed  3 Tablespoons of each together and will store any thats left over for the next time I bake these cookies or need cinnamon and sugar for buns)

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Combine 1 Tablespoon sugar  and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream shortening; gradually add 1 1 /2 cups sugar, beating well. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in vanilla.

Sift together flour, soda, salt and cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl. (I use a paper plate as I find it easier for the next step since I'm using a stand up mixer). Add to creamed mixture; mix well.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in reserved cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 400*F for 6 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool. Yield: about 4 dozen