Santa Cutouts - butter

Method

• In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
• Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined.
• Beat in as much of the flour you can with the mixer.
• Stir in andy remaining flour.
• Cover and chill dough about 3 hours or until easy to handle.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough until 1/8 inch thick.
• Using desired-shape cookie cutters, cut out dough (see instructions below).
• Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Paint with Egg Paint as directed below.
• Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until the bottoms are light brown.
• Let stand for 1 minute on cookie sheet.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Decorate with Snow Frosting, Powdered Sugar Icing, and/or decorative candies as desired.
• Let stand until set.
• Makes 40 cookies.
• For Diamond Santas: Using a 2-1/2- to 3-1/2-inch diamond-shape cookie cutter, cut out dough.
• For smooth, red caps, brush red-tinted Egg Paint on cap areas before baking cookies.
• For more textured caps, pipe red-tinted Snow Frosting from a decorating bag fitted with a medium star tip in the cap area of baked cookies.
• Pipe white Snow Frosting for the hatband, mustache, and beard.
• For fine details, pipe Powdered Sugar Icing from a decorating bag fitted with a writing tip.
• For Half-Moon Santas: Using a 2 1/2-inch half-moon cookie cutter cut out dough.
• For smooth, red caps, brush red-tinted Egg Paint on cap areas before baking cookies.
• Use Powdered Sugar Icing to frost the beard, then sprinkle with plain sanding sugar.
• Attach candy for eyes and noses with small dabs of frosting.
• Makes 45 cookies.
• Triangle Santas: Using a 3-inch triangle-shape cookie cutter, cut out dough.
• Paint coat area with red-tinted Egg Paint before baking.
• Pipe Snow Frosting from a decorating bag fitted with a star tip where a textured look is desired.
• For fine details, pipe Powdered Sugar Icing from a decorating bag fitted with a writing tip.
• Makes 40 cookies.
• Star Santas: Using a 4-inch star-shape cookie cutter, cut out dough.
• Paint the coat and hat areas with red-tinted Egg Paint before baking.
• Pipe Snow Frosting from a decorating bag fitted with a star tip where a textured look is desired.
• For fine details, pipe Powdered Sugar Icing from a decorating bag fitted with a writing tip.
• Use dabs of frosting to attach decorative candies for the buttons and noses.
• Makes 36.
• Egg Paint: In a small bowl stir together 1 egg yolk and 2 drops water.
• Stir in paste food coloring to make a paint of desired color.
• Brush paint on cookies before baking so the egg mixture cooks fully.
• Snow Frosting: In a small mixing bowl beat 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Gradually beat in 1 1/3 cups sifted powdered sugar until smooth.
• Beat in 1 tablespoon milk.
• Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and enough milk (3 to 4 teaspoons) to make a frosting of piping consistency.
• Tint frosting as desired with paste food coloring.
• Powdered Sugar Icing: In a medium bowl stir together 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency.
• Tint icing as desired with paste food coloring.