Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

Ingredients:

For Cookies:
• 1/3 c Butter
• 1/3 c Shortening
• 3/4 c Granulated sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 tb Milk
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 2 c All-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 ts Baking powder
• 1/2 ts Salt

For Frosting to Spread:
• 1 1/2 c Powdered sugar
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 2 tb Water
• Liquid or paste food coloring

For Frosting to Pipe:
• 1 1/2 c Powdered sugar
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 1 tb Water
• 1 tb Butter; softened
• Liquid or paste food coloring

Directions:
To make cookies: Beat butter, shortening and sugar until light. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat dry ingredients into moist a little at a time. Chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a little dough at a time, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with floured cutters and bake 8 to 10 minutes on lightly greased cookie sheets. Let cool. To make frosting to spread: Mix sugar with vanilla, water and your choice of food colorings. For intense color, use paste coloring. Frost cooled cookies. To make frosting to pipe: Mix sugar with vanilla, water and butter. Color as desired. Pipe onto cookies for accent colors.