4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Red, white Confectioners’ Icing, recipe at right
Red cinnamon candies
Shredded coconut
Green sugar

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Cream butter; slowly add and beat in sugar and continue beating until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; blend in vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients gradually; blend well. Cover bowl; chill dough several hours or until firm enough to roll.

Set oven for moderate, 350°. Grease cooky sheets. On a lightly floured board, roll out chilled dough, 1/4 inch thick. Cut with floured Santa Claus cooky cutter; place on cooky sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are golden. Run spatula under cookies to remove from sheets. Cool on wire racks. Decorate as shown with icing, candies, coconut and sugar. Makes about 4 dozen.

CONFECTIONERS’ ICING

Measure 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Stir in just enough water, about 1 tablespoon, to make frosting easy to force through a decorating tube. Or add a little more water if it is to be brushed on cookies or used for making lines with a toothpick. Tint, if desired, with a few drops of red or green food coloring; blend well. Or leave white. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Published by –COOKINDEX– Division of H.S. Stuttman Co., Inc., New York © Copyright 1958 Tested Recipe Institute, Inc., New York