“Not Too Sweet” Roll-Out Cookies

Roll-out cookies are a Christmas tradition in our family. Funny, it seems that’s the only time of year we go to the trouble. This recipe produces cookies with tea cake texture. Half the family prefers them with icing; the others gobble them without.

Enjoy the recipe, complete with Nana’s hints:

Aunt Mary’s Christmas Cookies

Heat oven to 425°. Mix shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla. Blend in remaining ingredients. (You may want to chill the dough 10-15 minutes at this point, even overnight won’t hurt. Let it set out a few minutes for workable dough.) Divide dough into three parts. Roll each part 1/4 inch thick on well-floured board. (Lots of flour!) Cut into shapes. Bake 6-8 minutes. Cool. (Watch these closely, and remove from oven when the edges start to brown.) Decorate as desired. Makes about a dozen 2-inch cookies. (You can also tint half the dough with red food coloring and half with green. Then you don’t need to decorate!)

Variations: For chocolate cookies, mix in 1-ounce unsweetened chocolate. For peanut butter cookies, mix in 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter.

Janae’s Nearsighted Reindeer

Which we noticed could double as a

Buxom She-Elf