Spring Sugar Cookies

I was inspired to make sugar cookies for spring by these cupcakes and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I made them!!! I think they turned out really cute!!!

The recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Cookie Book (circa 1963)  that has been in my family for as long as I've been alive.  I've used this book so many times that it's got recipe revisions written in the margins, butter stains and cookie dough crusted on every page.  I LOVE IT!! This is one book that will definitely be kept in the family and used forever!  You really can't go wrong with a Betty Crocker recipe!

ETHEL'S SUGAR COOKIES

¾ cup shortening (part butter or margarine)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon lemon flavoring or 1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups Gold Medal Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs, and flavoring thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir flour, baking powder and salt together; blend in. Chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough ¼ inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut with 3" cookie cutter.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until cookies are a delicate golden color.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

For the icing, I kinda cheated a little bit.  I bought a tub of white whipped Betty Crocker frosting and doctored it up a bit at home.

SUGAR COOKIE ICING

1 tub of Betty Crocker white frosting

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoon buttermilk

1. Empty the tub of frosting into the bowl of your electric mixer and beat until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and mix just to incorporate.
3. Slowly, add the buttermilk until you get a very smooth and much thinner consistency.  You may not need all the milk.
4. In heavy weight zip-loc bags, spoon in frosting into one corner.
5. Cut corner tip to size of desired hole.
6. Pipe frosting onto cookies in whatever designs you like!