Tender Italian Sugar Cookies

Name: Tender Italian Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 dozen.
Cuisine: Europe, Italian
Ingredients: 3/4 cup shortening; 3/4 cup sugar; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; ICING:; 1/4 cup 2% milk; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar; Food coloring and coarse sugar, optional

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling YIELD: 3 dozen.

These traditional Italian cookies are moist and tender. —Weda Mosellie, Phillipsburg, New Jersey

Ingredients

3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
ICING:
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Food coloring and coarse sugar, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
2. Shape dough into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
3. For icing, in a small bowl, combine milk, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired. Dip tops of cookies in icing; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 136 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 20mg cholesterol, 54mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.

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