Christmas Ornament Cookies Country Living

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened

1/4 c Vegetable shortening

1 1/3 c Sugar

2 lg Eggs

3 1/2 c Unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 ts Baking powder

1/2 ts Salt

Royal Icing-recipe follows Food coloring (see Note)

1. In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium

speed, beat butter and shortening until well blended; add sugar and beat until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 2. In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder,

and salt. With mixer on low speed, add half of flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 3 equal balls; wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. 3. To cut and bake cookies: Heat oven to 350F.

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Cut 2 pieces of waxed paper the same size as the baking sheets. Lightly flour waxed paper and roll out one ball of dough between paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Remove top piece of waxed paper. Using our 7-inch bauble-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many baubles from dough as possible, leaving 1/2 inch between each shape. Remove all trimmings and press together. Invert waxed paper with baubles onto greased baking sheet and peel off waxed paper. Reroll trimmings between waxed paper and repeat cutting and inverting baubles to fill second baking sheet. If making cookies for ornaments, use a toothpick tp pierce a small hole about 1/2 inch from top of each cookie. 4. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.

Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks and cool completely before decorating. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining balls of dough and trimmings. 5. To decorate cookies as pictured in the magazine

(plaid), prepare Royal Icing. Divide icing in half, placing one half in a medium-size bowl. Divide remaining half of icing among 3 small bowls or cups. Tint icing in medium-size bowl pale yellow with yellow food coloring (see Note). Mix one small bowl of icing with burgundy food coloring, another with teal food coloring, and the last bowl with violet food coloring. Spoon icings (except yellow) into separate small pastry bags fitted with small (#1) writing tips. With pastry brush, paint the front of each cookie with a think coat of the yellow icing, being sure not to cover pierced hole; let dry and paint again. When yellow icing has dried, pipe decorateive lines, dots and curls on front of cookies using other colored icings. To store cookies, place them in a single layer in airtight containers. ROYAL ICING: In large bowl, with electric mixer on low speed, beat two 1-lb packages confectioners' sugar, 6 large egg whites (if cookies will be eaten, use meringue powder and follw package instructions for Royal Icing: see Note), and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar until mixed. Increase speed to high, beat until very thick and fluffy-about 6 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use. Makes 4 cups. Note: We used Wilton's Egg Yellow, Burgundy, Teal and Grape Violet food coloring and meringue powder, which can be purchased wherever cake decorating supplies are sold or by calling Wilton Industries at (800) 772-7771. Country Living/November/1994 Scanned & edited by Di Pahl &