Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup butter, softened

• ⅓ cup shortening

• ¾ cup sugar 1

• tsp baking powder

• Dash salt

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon milk
  

Preparation:

1. Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough for 3 hours or until easy to handle.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll half at a time to ⅛ inch thickness. Using a 2 ½ inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool on a rack. Makes about 36 cookies.

Decorative Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar

• 3 tablespoons milk

• Pink, violet, leaf green, or lemon yellow food coloring

Preparation:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together 4 cups of powdered sugar and the 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth.

2. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting is easy to pipe.

3. Tint frosting as desired with food coloring.

Make-Ahead Tip: Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Place in an airtight or freezer container. Chill up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before using. Or, bake and cool cookies completely. Do not frost. In an airtight or freezer container, arrange cookies in a single layer; cover with a sheet of waxed paper. Repeat layers, leaving enough air space to close container easily. Seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month.