EASTER AND COOKIES...

Easter is fast approaching and it isn’t complete without cookies. Kids just love them. Be creative with decorating them or ask the children to help you out. They will definitely love that.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk
Food coloring

Place the butter and the shortening in a large mixing bowl. Beat them using an electric mixer on medium high for 30 seconds or until they become soft. Add half of the flour, sugar, a dash of salt, egg, milk, baking powder and vanilla. Continue to beat the mixture until the ingredients are well combined. Slowly add the remaining flour and mix. Scrape of the sides occasionally. Cover the dough and chill it for 2-3 hours; after cut it in half.
Flour a flat surface and roll out both pieces of dough using a rolling pin until they are 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place the cut pieces in a lined baking tray. Make sure they are an inch apart.
Bake the cookies at 375F for 6-8 minutes or until the bottoms are light brown. Let it cool for 1 minute or before transferring to a flat surface or wire rack.
Combine sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon of milk and desired food coloring. Add more milk if needed to reach piping consistency. Decorate the cookies. Let the icing set before serving.

Photo Courtesy Of: Jim Crocker