Holiday Sugar Cookies

So I am finally updating my blog after a long hiatus. Between moving from Okinawa and establishing our lives here in Northern VA, it has been busy. I made my first ever batch of Christmas cookies and while it was a long day, it was awesome to make my favorite thing in the world, cookies! They all went into a goodie box for our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. One of the recipes I made was for sugar cookies which was a first for me. I even made the frosting from scratch. The end result was quite tasty too.

Classic Sugar Cookies

1. 1 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
2. OR 1 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
3. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4. 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
5. 2 tablespoons milk
6. 3 large eggs lightly beaten
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8. 4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
9. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
10. 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
11. 1 teaspoon salt
12. Colored sugar and decors
13. BUTTERY CREAM FROSTING
14. 4 cups powdered sugar
15. 1/3 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
16. OR 1/3 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
17. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
18. 6 to 7 tablespoons milk
19. Food coloring

1. 1. Combine shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well blended. Add milk. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.
2. 2. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in separate large bowl. Mix into shortening mixture until well blended. Chill 1 hour.
3. 3. Heat oven to 350°F.
4. 4. Roll out 1⁄3 of dough at a time to about 1⁄4-inch thickness on floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugars and decors or leave plain and frost when cooled.
5. 5. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges of cookies are slightly golden. Remove immediately to cooling rack.
6. BUTTERY CREAM FROSTING
7. 1. Combine powdered sugar, shortening and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer; slowly blend in milk to reach desired consistency.
8. 2. Beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Tint frosting with food coloring, if desired.
9. Spread a thin layer of frosting on cookies and decorate with sparkling sugars or sprinkles while frosting is still wet to ensure the decorations stay in place. If you're planning to pipe on frosting decorations, make sure to allow the base coat of frosting, and then each addition layer, to dry completely before adding another.