Christmas Cookie Slices

1 cup sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

2 eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

Mix sugar, margarine, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide into 3 equal parts. Shape each part into roll, about 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 400°. Cut rolls into 1/8-inch slices. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. About 7 dozen cookies.

Butterscotch Slices: Substitute packed brown sugar for the granulated sugar.

Christmas Trees: Shape roll into triangle; coat sides with green sugar. Continue as directed. Cut tree trunks from several slices; attach trunks to trees on cookie sheet, overlapping slightly.

Cookie Tarts: Cut out centers of half of the unbaked cookies with ¾-inch cutters, or design your own patterns. Spoon ½ teaspoon red jelly or jam onto uncut slices; top with cutout slices. Press edges to seal.

Holiday Sugar Slices: Coat rolls with red or green sugar or multicolored candies.

Nutmeg Slices: Add ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg with the flour. Coat rolls with mixture of ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Nutty Slices: Coat rolls with chopped nuts.

Orange-Almond Slices: Mix in 1 tablespoon grated orange peel with the margarine and ½ cup cut-up blanched almonds with the flour.

Peppermint Pinwheels: Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. After dough is mixed, divide into halves. Stir ½ teaspoon red or green food color into 1 half. Cover both halves and refrigerate 1 hour. Roll plain dough into rectangle, about 16×9 inches, on lightly floured surface. Repeat with colored dough; place on plain dough. Roll doughs together about ¼ inch thick. Roll up tightly, beginning at 16-inch side. Wrap and refrigerate. Continue as directed. About 7 dozen cookies.

Ribbon Bar Cookies: Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. After dough is mixed, divide into halves. Stir ½ teaspoon red or green food color into 1 half. Cover both halves and refrigerate 1 hour. Shape each half into 2 strips, each about 9×2½ inches, on very lightly floured surface. Layer strips, alternating colors; press together. Wrap and refrigerate. Continue as directed. About 5½ dozen cookies.

 

It is a quote. Betty Crocker’s Christmas Cookbook 1982