Fall Cookies!

During Dane's naps over the last couple days, I managed to make sugar cookie dough, then roll and bake it the next day, then finally, frost it a couple days later. I used my grandma's excellent, easy sugar cookie recipe. As I baked (and tasted:)) the cookies, it brought back many great memories of working on cookies with my mom growing up. Not too sweet or too bland, I always snuck a few of these when mom wasn't looking and probably liked eating the dough just as much as the finished cookies. Making these will be especially fun once Dane gets old enough to enjoy playing with dough and making his own art while decorating them. I've included the cookie recipe below, and the basic royal icing recipe.

Grandma Moyer's Sugar Cookies

1 C shortening

1/2 C margarine

2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 C sour milk (1T lemon juice, 1 C milk)

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

6 C flour

Cream shortening, butter and vanilla, add sugar and eggs. Mix dry remaining dry ingredients together, combine with creamed mixture and sour milk. Mix until a soft dough forms. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Roll out and cut; bake on a non-stick or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for ~7 minutes.

Royal Icing

1 lb. confectioner's sugar

2 egg whites

1/4 to 1/2 C water

Combine ingredients until well-blended and smooth. Thicken with more sugar, thin with water until desired consistency is reached. Let dry for up to a day.