Soft Italian Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together (I use a whisk) and gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Shape dough into 1-1/2" balls.
• Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove to wire racks to cool after 2 minutes.
• ****FOR ICING****.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Tint with food coloring (I prefer the gel) if desired.
• ****DECORATING****.
• Dip the cooled cookies into the icing.
• Sprinkle with colored sugars if desired.
• Place on waxed paper until icing is set.

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar with electric mixer.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
• Add buttermilk, flavor extracts, baking soda and cream of tarter and blend well.
• Now by hand with a wooden spoon, add flour 1 cup at a time until the mixture is stiff.
• Drop from heaping tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. If not icing you may press on the nuts or sprinkles now (or you can ice or frost and decorate with sprinkles after baking).
• Bake in a preheated 375F oven, center oven rack, 10 to 13 minutes or until cookie edges are slightly brown and tops look set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Overbaking cause dry, hard cookies.
• Carefully remove to rack to cool. Frost or decorate as desired.
• Notes: recipe may be halved, cookies freeze well, for best baking use an insulated baking sheet as these tend to burn on the bottom. Store airtight.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.