Instructions

1. Do not preheat the oven. This recipe requires chill time in the refrigerator.
2. Cream together shortening, butter and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla and combine well. Thoroughly combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Be sure to clean the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and incorporate it back into the dough.
3. Cover the dough and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Lightly flour your work surface, and your rolling pin. Roll out 1/3 of the dough into a thin layer approximately 1/8th inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut your shapes into the dough.
5. Place cut cookies on the lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until slightly firm and very lightly browned.
6. Continue to cut cookies out until all dough is used up. If the dough gets too soft, you can place it back in the fridge to cool again

To Make the Icing

You can control how thick or thin you want it by adjusting the amount of milk you use. I like to make this icing wet and runny, but you can make it however you prefer to work with it.

1. Combine the powdered sugar and vanilla. Start with 5 teaspoons of milk and add more until you get to your desired consistency. I prefer to make the icing between 6 and 7 teaspoons of milk.
2. Choose your food coloring that you want to use, and split the icing into however many bowls you need. Add coloring and mix well with a small spoon until you get the color intensity you are wanting. Use the spoon to spread onto the cookie. Apply any sprinkles that you want to use now while it is still wet.
3. Covered in a single layer, allow to dry in a cool area for several hours or overnight. Once the icing is fully set you can stack and store in a cool area.