2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (I use butter)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 eggs
4 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda (dissolve in the buttermilk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream together sugar, shortening, and butter (or use all butter). Add eggs and mix thoroughly.

Alternately add some flour and baking powder, then some milk mixture.

Add vanilla. Mix well and refrigerate cookie dough overnight (this makes an extremely sticky dough!).

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Use an additional cup of flour to roll out. Use flour liberally. Use a light touch with rolling pin. Cut out your favorite cookie shapes.

Bake at 350°F until top of cookie doesn't dent when touched lightly, about 12 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen fairly large cookies.

If desired, ice with butter and confectioners' sugar icing flavored with vanilla and colored with food coloring.

Submitted by: Kim