My Favorite Frosted Sugar Cookies

I love decorating cookies with the kids and these are a batch that we whipped up this past week. We let the kids have a decorating extravaganza and they were able to not only decorate our tree, but also decorate these cookies too.

These cookies would be great just plain and rolled in sugar, but I am frosting girl myself. I just can’t resist a smear of frosting on a sugar cookie.

With a little frosting and a shake of sprinkles, these cookies rival those yummy sugar cookies at the mall. May I recommend not rolling them in sugar though if you are doing the frosting? It is a little too much sugar even for the sugar-addicts in the group.

Soft Sugar Cookies

2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Stir in the eggs and the vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add these to the creamed mixture. Chill dough for one hour in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Roll dough into walnut size balls and roll balls in sugar (unless frosting). Place on an unprepared cookie sheet. Bake ten to twelve minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from sheets and allow to cool.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring

In a large bowl, cream together confectioners sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about five minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie or holiday cookie recipe you would like to share? I would love to see what graces your cookie platters!