My mother had several ancient cookie cutters including a Santa, reindeer, Christmas tree and holly. Every year she would make a huge batch of cookies for the family and to give away.
My sister inherited both the cutters and the tradition. She also makes many cookies, but mainly to give away. Although she is gluten intolerant, I suspect she sneaks a few. I know I do.
Do you make holiday treats to brighten up someone’s day? Often we think about family and friends, but what about others — police and fire fighters, office workers, neighbors, shut-ins, nursing homes . . . . The possibilities are seemingly endless.
So think outside the box about who you want to surprise this year.
Christmas Cookies from my mother 
¾ cup shortening; 1 cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla; 2 ½ cups flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt
Mix ingredients and refrigerate several hours. Roll out with rolling pin and cut out using cookie cutters. Bake at 400 degrees F on ungreased cookie sheet for 6 to 8 minutes until light brown. Allow to cool then frost (it is better to wait until next day).
Lines from Lynn 
thanks! I’m going to be teaching Leah how to make cookies this year, so I’ll give this a try along with everything else.