Sugar Cookies without sour cream

Yummy.

I don't often have sour cream on hand, so I'm going to give another recipe a try (uses shortening instead). Trying half this for a small cookie crust for fruit pizza. Makes 4 1/2 dozen regular cookies.

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

[Sept. 2019: 1.5 oz. cookie dough each ball, 15 minutes bake time]

Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Regular frosting:

3 c. pwd. sugar

1/3 c. softened butter
1 ½ tsp. vanilla

1-2 TB milk

Cream cheese frosting:

1 stick butter
4 oz cream cheese
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

You can add whatever other flavoring you want: mint, orange, coconut, etc..