#977 - Santa Claus Cutout Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups white sugar
2 sticks Parkay margarine
2 eggs
1 cup of buttermilk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 TBSP vanilla
6 cups of sifted flour (measure before sifting)
Small teaberry candies (for cookies)
Frosting/Icing: 1/2 box Domino's Powdered Sugar (1 lb. size); 1 stick Parkay margarine; 2 tsp. vanilla; 1.5 TBSP milk, red food coloring

In a mixer add 2 sticks margarine, 2 cups white sugar and 2 eggs--beat until smooth. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, 1 TBSP vanilla and buttermilk--beat until smooth. Add flour one cup at a time and mix into batter. Once you've put in two or three cups of flour, you will need to mix in remaining flour by hand unless you're using a heavy duty Kitchen Aid mixer - stir until smooth. Refrigerate dough overnight. The next day take out a handful of batter and put on a floured countertop. Roll with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thick (flour top of dough also). Use Santa Clause shaped cookie cutter to cut cookies. Carefully place each cutout on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (do a test cookie to figure out the time appropriate for your oven). Repeat until dough is depleted. Once cookies are cool, in a mixer add 1/2 box Domino's powdered sugar, 1 stick margarine, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1.5 TBSP milk--beat for at least 5 minutes until it's nice and creamy. Remove 1/3 of the frosting/icing and place it in a cereal bowl--add red food coloring and stir until it's the red color you desire. Use the white icing/frosting to frost the face and beard of each cookie. Use the red icing/frosting to frost the hat. Use the teaberries to make the eyes, nose and mouth. Refrigerate extra cookies for a few hours, then pack them in empty containers in single layers with Saran Wrap in between each layer--place in freezer and remove them when you need them.