Best Iced Cookies EVER

Are you looking for a recipe that will make the Best. Iced Cookies. EVER. ?!?  If so, look no further - you have arrived.  These are amazingly delicious.  I LOVE them - they're a go-to holiday treat for us...

 

This is part of the 50+ Holiday Sweet Treats - scroll down to find tons more delicious options!

My mom made these as I grew up.  Her mom made them.  Because they're so great!

First, the dough - - the recipe is called "plain cookies" , so they're not really a sugar cookie, just a plain cookie - they're perfect.  Soft and perfect.

Plain Cookies
1/2 C shortening
1 C Sugar
1/4 C milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
3 C flour

Cream together (that means mix well til creamy) the shortening and sugar.  Add milk, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and mix well.  Add flour and mix.  Refridgerate dough  for 2-3 hours - this is important, otherwise the dough is too sticky.  Then roll out to approx 1/4 inch thick (put flour on your countertop so the dough doesn't stick), cut shapes, Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes. 

I will let you in on a secret - - cut circle shapes.  I know trees and bells and candy canes are fun to cut, but they make icing the cookies more complicated.  Circles are perfect - you can still make them festive with colored icing or sprinkles.

Let them cool completely before you put on icing so it won't melt and slide off.
Now, on to the icing.  Icing isn't icing without almond extract...mmmm.

Icing:
1/4 C butter
3 tbsp shortening
1 tsp almond extract (I love getting of whiff of this stuff!)
1 lb powder sugar (1/2 bag)
Approx 4 tbsp milk
Food Coloring, if desired

Cream the butter and shortening and almond together like so:

Add the other ingredients.  Adjust your milk amount according to how thick you want your icing.  Mix it on a high speed -  it's fun to see the icing whip up.

Now you're ready.  While you ice the cookies, keep a wet paper towel on top of your icing bowl so that the icing won't start to dry out.

Want to see how I ice cookies??  Here's a video (hope my mom approves - all my life I've been trying to live up to her icing standards!)



Yum, right?! I want to eat one right now...except Trevor has us on some kooky health food thing - luckily it calls for one "binge" day a week when you can eat whatever you want...millions of cookies, here I come, just one more day...

Happy Treat Making!  Need more ideas?? How about 50+ from some bloggers around blogland...

Find them all right here: