Soft Sugar Cookies

I found this recipe in a magazine. I love it! The cookies are soft, and can be frosted(recipe follows). They are NOT good for using cookie cutter shapes. These are great to make ahead and freeze(proceedure follows) to get a jump start on the holidays, or before the heat of summer sets in.

Soft Sugar Cookies
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup pancake syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar and shortening in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat until well blended and fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift gradually into the creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until well blended. (If dough is too sticky, refrigerate for 1 hour, or freeze for 15 minutes in small batches.) Using a small spoon, scoop out dough and roll into a ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart. Rub a few drops of water on the bottom of a flat bottomed drinking glass or jar (only do this for the first cookie). Press the glass in sugar, and then press onto a cookie ball, pressing the cookie flat to about 1/4" thickness. Dip the glass into sugar before pressing each cookie. Decorate with colored sugar or sprinkles before baking if not frosting afterwards. Bake one sheet at a time 5-9 minutes...depending on the size of the cookies. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Cookies should be barely brown on edge, and just barely done in the center. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Move to a cooling rack. Frost if desired.

Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
about 2 Tbsp milk
Optional...3-5 drops other flavorings. I buy these at the cake supply store. They come in a lot of flavors. They're used for making candy. Cherry is my favorite.
Optional...food coloring. I buy the paste kind at the cake supply store. It uses a tiny amount, and doesn't leave a funny taste like the liquid kind.

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla, flavorings, food color, and milk. Beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency. Add a little more sugar if its too thin.

FREEZE
To freeze...after cooling and frosting cookies, lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze 1-2 hours. In a tupperware container, layer cookies with wax paper between layers. Seal tightly...don't forget to label them! To thaw, remove cookies from freezer and lay in a single layer in a tightly sealed container. I like the texture of these cookies better after they've been frozen.