Wanda's Sugar Cookies with Frosting

These cookies are a cherished family tradition. I started making them with my mom when I was a kid, and now I bake them each holiday season to share with friends and neighbors — they’ve become a favorite for everyone!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup oil

2 eggs

4 cups plain flour

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

9 cups powdered sugar

2 1/4 sticks butter, melted

3 Tbsp vanilla extract

heavy cream (or milk)

food coloring (whatever color you desire)

DIRECTIONS:

Cream butter and sugar together; add oil; mix well; add eggs and blend. Add vanilla. Mix together.

Sift flour with the baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add slowly to the bowl and mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Roll dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Place on cookie sheet and tamp down lightly with your fingers until they are

about 1/4" to 3/8" thick and uniformly round.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-16 minutes or until very lightly browned.

Do not overbake.

Remove cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool before frosting.

To make the Frosting:

Melt butter; put sugar and butter in mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and food color and blend.

Add cream or milk to thin to desire consistency and beat on high speed until creamy.

Spread on the cookies and sprinkle with colored sugar immediately (before the frosting dries).

NOTES:

It is best to just make one pan of cookies at a time. Otherwise the dough will warm up and the cookies will spread out all over the pan.

Keep the bowl of dough in the refrigerator except when you remove it to roll the cookies

to put on the cookie sheet. It is best to put the pan of cookie dough into the

refrigerator 10-15 minutes before baking to ensure they don't spread too much.