Tradition of Making Christmas Cookies - Including Our Cookie Recipe!

After school this week, the girls and I made Christmas cut out cookies for our family.  This can be quite the trying experience with kids.  Ha!  "I want to roll out the dough!  I want to cut out the dough!  I want to put the sprinkles on!"

So, the trick is...if you try this adventure for yourself, decide this batch of cookies is only for the family so it doesn't matter is Santa is a little lopsided or the the gingerbread man has a little too much flour.  :)

It was a lot of fun and the girls did very well.  

We used my Grandma Holt's cookie recipe and two of her cookie cutters that we used as kids with my Grandma that I was given when she passed away.  

Christmas is a special time of traditions and this is one I am happy to pass on to my girls.

My Grandma Holt's Sugar Cut Out Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar
vanilla
1 cup shortening
1 cup flour 
1 egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda

Cream the sugar and shortening together.  Add the vanilla, egg and salt to the creamed mixture and beat well.
Add the baking soda to the buttermilk and let sit for 5 minutes.
Sift together the flour and baking powder.
Alternately add the buttermilk mixture to the sugar mixture, then add some of the flour mixture. Continue until all ingredients are well blended.
Add flour until you can roll it out - 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick.

Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes (a little darker than off white).

The recipe for frosting we like to use with this cookie recipe is from the Christian Womanhood cookbook.

1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla or almond)
6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup white shortening

Combine water, salt, flavoring and powdered sugar and mix with a flat white Kitchenaid beater.  Add shortening and beat at low speed until all ingredients are mixed together.  Beat at medium speed for 8 minutes.  

Store in jar or airtight bowl at room temp. for several days or in fridge for longer.