Abigail's Traditional Tree Sugar Cookies

(We make these every year for our grandchildren)

(makes 5--dozen (4 inch trees)

1 1/2 cups margarine of butter (softened)

2 cup of sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

5 Cups of unbleached flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Mix together margarine or butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Stir flour gradually into egg and sugar mixture. Mix well---getting all flour worked in. Dough will be soft. For perfect cookies do NOT chill. Some sugar cookie recipes say to chill. I prefer not to.

Divide the dough into manageable size balls to roll out. Roll the dough on a well floured surface---roll to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out the tree shapes. Because the dough is soft--you can gather up the scraps from each ball of dough and roll and cut out trees a couple more times. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 400 degrees for about 6 minutes. The time depends on how hot your oven bakes. Bake only until cookies are done--not golden brown. Cookie will pop back up to touch when done. IF you like a crisp sugar cookie bake longer.

Frosting: 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and enough milk to make the frosting creamy.

Directions for frosting: So that your trees look like real country Christmas trees with snow on them follow the following directions. First save some white frosting in a cup, then dye the rest of the frosting green with food coloring or frosting colorant glaze. With a small flat (1/2 inch STIFF [new] paint brush or pastry brush. It must be stiff to get pine branches look)

Get a nice amount of frosting on your brush. Start from the bottom and brush toward the outsides from the middle of the cookie. You will see the brush strokes in the frosting. Work your way to the top until cookie is frosted. Take white frosting and brush with light strokes over the green---here and there down the cookie. Add silver or other decorations. For the kids you may want to put red cinnamon candy decorations or just sprinkle with colored sugars.

If the kids help---don't worry about having perfect trees---just let them frost and decorate and be creative. I made trees, snowmen, etc. with my 3 year old granddaughter and we had flour and sprinkles all over the kitchen! But we had fun! God bless you and enjoy.