Diamond Santa Cookies

1/3 cup shortening   1/3 cup butter or margarine   3/4 cup granulated sugar   1 teaspoon baking powder   Dash salt   1 egg   1 tablespoon milk   1 teaspoon vanilla   2 cups all-purpose flour   4 cups sifted powdered sugar   1 teaspoon vanilla   3 to 4 tablespoons milk   Miniature semisweet chocolate pieces, small red cinnamon candies, coconut,  decorative candies

 

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening

 and butter or margarine with

 an electric mixer on medium to high

 speed for 30 seconds. Add

granulated sugar, baking powder,

 and salt. Beat until combined.

Beat in egg, 1 tablespoon milk,

and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in

 as much of the flour as you

can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour

 with a wooden spoon.

 Divide dough in half.

Cover and refrigerate about 3 hours

 or until chilled dough is easy to handle.

 

Roll half of the dough at a time

1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.

 Cut dough into diamond shapes

 (2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches across);

 bend the top point of each diamond

 to the side to make Santa's hat. (Or,

use Santa cookie cutters.)

Place 1 inch apart

on ungreased cookie sheets.

 

Bake in a 375° F oven for

 7 to 8 minutes or until the bottoms

are lightly browned. Cool

on cookie sheets for 1 minute.

Remove cookies to wire racks;

 cool completely.

 

For icing, stir together the sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (about 3 to 4 tablespoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency. Divide in half. Tint one half with drops of red food coloring.

 

Dip top third of each cookie into

 red-tinted powdered sugar icing

 for Santa's hat; place cookies on a

wire rack and sprinkle a bit of

 coconut on edge of hat for fur trim

 and at the tip for a pompom. Dip

 bottom third of each cookie

 into white powdered sugar

icing for Santa's beard, and return

 cookiesto wire rack; sprinkle beard

with coconut and allow icing to dry slightly.

 Place a cinnamon candy in center for a nose

and two miniature semisweet chocolate

 pieces for eyes. Let dry completely.

Makes about 42 cookies