Basket Cutout Christmas Cookies

Make your own platter of basket shaped sugar cookies for Christmas.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
¾ cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
2 eggs
1 tsp. lemon flavoring
2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Procedure

Mix sugar, shortening, eggs and lemon flavoring until creamy. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the contents of the two bowls, blending completely. Chill dough at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400º. Roll out chilled dough on lightly floured surface. This cookie is cut with a two piece cookie cutter. Cut out the overall shape with the larger basket shaped tin cookie cutter first. It is helpful to wait to cut the handle opening after the dough has been placed on a cool ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until cookies are a delicate golden color. Thinner cookies will bake more quickly. When cookies are removed from the oven, carefully place them on racks to cool. Celebrate the holidays by making a batch of decorated rolled sugar cookies in the shape of baskets. A free Christmas Cookie recipe. Tuck a few cookies in a small basket to give as a gift or hang them on your Christmas tree.

When the cookies are completely cool use colored icing to decorate.

This recipe makes about one dozen large basket Christmas cookies.

Tuck a few cookies in a small basket to give as a gift or hang them on your Christmas tree.