Soft Sugar Cookies

These are just like the soft iced sugar cookies you see packaged in the grocery store. They're known as Lofthouse Cookies.

Yield: 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/3 cup colored sugar for decoration (optional)
• Icing and sprinkles for tops (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar.
3. Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Roll dough into walnut-size balls. If using sugar as a decoration, roll the balls in sugar now. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until bottom is light brown.
6. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
7. If sugar has not been used, ice and decorate the cookies when cool.

Attribution

Photo credit: jencu on Visualhunt / CC BY