When I was a kid my mom would always make these cookies and I can’t eat anything with almond extract and not think about those cookies and Christmas and all the good times we had when I was a kid at Christmas time.

My mother got this recipe from her grandmother so she would make a special batch for her dad so that he can remember his mother and her cookies.

I absolutely love these cookies. Their pretty much your basic sugar cookie but the icing is what really makes these cookies so delicious.

Here are the ingredients:

• 3 cups of sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 sticks real butter
• 1 cup Crisco shortening
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• lots of flour

For the icing you need:

• powdered sugar
• milk
• almond extract

Cookies:

1. Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt, butter, Crisco and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Slowly alternate adding buttermilk mixture and flour in  small amounts into the smooth mixture. Keeping adding flour until it forms a workable dough but do not over flour or cookies will be dry.
4. Roll dough out on floured surface. Cut out cookies.
5. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees until bottom of cookie turns brown, do not overcook. About 10-12 minutes.
6. Let cool, apply icing and decorate with sprinkles.

Icing:

Put powdered sugar in a bowl and add milk. Mix until it is a thick but spreadable mixture. Add a bit of almond extract then spoon onto cookies.

Happy birthday, Mom!!!