Soft Sugar Cookies

I made these cookies for our New Beginnings and several have ask for the recipe I used.  I do have to confess Rebecca and Deborah helped with the decorating which is the reason for the beauty.   I used two different frosting recipes for these cookies.  One recipe is a cookie glaze which makes a shiny glaze and the other recipe is a buttercream frosting I used for the top deocorating.

Soft Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

DIRECCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.  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 out dough and cut with a cookie cutter.  Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

3.  Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown.  Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 Tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and vanilla.  Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy.  Keepdicing covered until ready to decorate.

Cookie Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

6 tablespoons light corn syrup

1.  Mix powdered sugar, milk and corn syrup.  Add more corn syrup.  a tablespoon at a time, to thin, if needed.  Tint with food coloring if desired.

2.  If sprinkles or other decorations are used, add immediately after frosting.