Lori's Sugar Cookies

these are some of the best sugar cookies I have ever eaten....in fact, they are so good I can eat about a dozen of them in one sitting, which is probably WAY too many!!

There's something special about sugar cookies and milk.....yummy, and they can be cut into shapes to fit any occasion during the year. Cookie cutters are something that have been handed down from generation to generation in our family (my daughter is eagerly awaiting her chance to use the ones that were my grandmother's!).

If you have a good mixer with a large bowl, this recipe can be doubled. To help you with this process, I have included those measurements along with the recipe.

Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup soft shortening (1 1/2 cup) (I prefer butter flavored Crisco sticks)
1 cup sugar (2 cups)
2 eggs (4 ) (using egg substitute works well here)
1/2 tsp vanilla (1 tsp)
2 1/2 cups sifted flour (5 cups)
1 tsp baking powder (2 tsp)
1 tsp salt (2 tsp)

Cream together shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, add to creamed mixture a little at a time and combine well.

Chill dough for at least 1 hour.

Roll out 1/8 inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. (I use a silpat or parchment paper).

Sprinkle with sugar or other cookie decorations if desired (leave off sugar if you are going to frost these).

Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on racks (or like grandma did, on brown paper bags cut and laid out flat).

The nice thing about this dough too is that if you don't have a cookie cutter that is the shape you want to make, you can lay a paper outline on top of the dough and cut around it with the tip of a small knife to get whatever shap you want.

These are great with decorated with colored frostings (sort of like gingerbread men).