Classic Christmas Cookies

By Addie

This is a very Classic Christmas cookie and many of you probably already have this recipe or a version of it. I like to make these into cut out cookies, but work well as drop cookies too with a variety of many different add ins; chips, nuts, raisins, chopped fruit,coconut,,,,etc.
When my kids were small we made Santas, trees,stars, snowmen, hearts, diamonds, snowflakes,Ann and Andy,,etc..
But my favorites were the snowflakes,and stars I liked to decorate them with frosting and editable glitter and hang on the Christmas tree-the kids liked sprinkling on the glitter.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup Crisco Butter-Flavored Shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup dairy sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated finely
• 1 teaspoon lime peel, grated finely
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preparation

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl beat butter, Crisco and sugar in your mixer bowl and mix on medium for 30 seconds. Add sugar, sour cream, egg, vanilla, lemon,lime,baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until well combined-adding 1/2 the flour slowly, using the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove 1/2 the dough to a floured surface, leave remainder in the refrigerator. Roll to about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thickness. Use assorted snowflake or star shaped cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Can sprinkle with glitter or colored sugar now or after baked and frosted.


Continue rolling and cutting with remainder of dough from refrigerator. Gather up previous cookie scraps and place in the bowl and return to fridge. When finished roll all the scraps to make more cookies.(If hanging cookies on tree, use straw to pierce hole in cookie dough before baking).

Bake cookies for 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very light brown. Transfer cookies to cooling rack or brown paper bags. When cool frost and trim with edible glitter or colorful sprinkle sugars.

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ICING:

3 cups Powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Karo corn syrup
1 dash salt
Water (milk will not set up as well)
NO butter -keeps the frosting too soft, and it won't "set up."


Combine powdered sugar,corn syrup, and salt, add water until you get the right consistency for spreading on the cookies. Add any decorations or sprinkles now. Let frosting dry before stacking.