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1
In a large mixing bowl, add 12 tablespoons shortening to cookie mix.
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2
Use a knife to level off.
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3
Then add 2 beaten eggs, then add the vanilla and almond extracts.
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4
With a pastry cutter, cut in all the added ingredients till well-incorporated.
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5
You want the egg and shortening to merge into little crumbs with the mix.
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6
Try to pull the dough together enough to form 3 disks.
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7
Wrap each disk of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 6 hours.
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8
The dough must rest before doing anything else to it!
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9
Take a disk of dough out from the refrigerator, and set on some waxed paper.
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10
Roll it out between two pieces of waxed paper till it reaches a thickness of 1/3 inch and reasonably smooth.
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11
Fold it back up in the waxed paper and let rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours more.
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12
Take another disk of dough out of the refrigerator and start with the red food color.
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13
Working on the plastic wrap, start by adding a few drops of red food color and use the plastic wrap to blot and knead in the color.
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14
Hands really should never touch the dough, you knead and blot it in through the plastic wrap.
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15
Keep adding food color till all areas of the dough are well shaded.
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16
Once the desired shade is reached, re-wrap the colored dough in the plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours more.
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17
Follow the same instructions above to knead and blot in the green food color with the second disk of dough.
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18
Then wrap the green dough back up in the plastic wrap and let rest for 3 hours more.
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19
Pre-heat the oven to 325F Cut some parchment paper to line the bottom of two cookie sheets, then sprinkle some loose flour to line the parchment paper.
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20
Remove the uncolored dough from the refrigerator and again, in between two sheets of waxed paper, re-roll out to about 1/3 inch thickness.
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21
Take Holiday cookie cutters dipped in flour and cut into decorative shapes, laying shaped cookies on the floured parchment-paper cookie sheet.
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22
Once a cookie sheet has been filled with shaped cookies, pop in the refrigerator, while you prepare the next cookie sheet with shaped cookies.
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23
Beat 4 eggs, and with a pastry brush, brush on the egg wash to the tops of the cookies.
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24
Now, with a spoon, spoon on red and green sprinkles over the tops of shaped cookies.
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25
Bake the cookies at 325F for 9 minutes.
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26
When done, carefully remove with spatula and let cool on a wire rack.
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27
> Repeat the same 3 paragraphs above with the green-colored dough, except the green dough utilizes only the red sprinkles.
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28
With the red dough, you use only green sprinkles.
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29
These cookies freeze wonderfully in an airtight container in the freezer, for up to 2 months before use.
