Santa Sugar Cookies

Name: Santa Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: about 4 dozen.
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups butter, softened; 1-1/2 cups shortening; 1-1/2 cups sugar; 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar; 4-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 6-3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar; 1-1/2 teaspoons salt; FROSTING:; 2 cans (12 ounces each) whipped vanilla frosting; 2 tablespoons butter, softened; 2 cups confectioners' sugar; Brown and red M&M's minis; Red colored sugar; Red jimmies

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 1 hour + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling YIELD: about 4 dozen.

Ho ho ho! St. Nick can drop in any time when you bake these cute-as-can-be treats formed with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.—Jill Boruff, Soap Lake, Washington

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
6-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
FROSTING:
2 cans (12 ounces each) whipped vanilla frosting
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Brown and red M&M's minis
Red colored sugar
Red jimmies

Directions

1. Cream first four ingredients until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Divide dough in half; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm enough to roll, 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until firm, 8-10 minutes (do not overbake). Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
3. For frosting, beat canned frosting, butter and confectioners' sugar until well-blended. Cut a hole in the tip of a pastry bag or corner of a food-safe plastic bag; insert #16 star tip and fill with frosting. Placing hearts point side up, use a small amount of frosting to attach brown M&M's for eyes and red M&M's for noses. Use remaining frosting to pipe hats, beards and mustaches. Sprinkle hats with red sugar; add jimmies for mouths.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 299 calories, 15g fat (6g saturated fat), 28mg cholesterol, 198mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (24g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.