My Only Recipe Book

Ingridients:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia*
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar or decorative sugar

Procedure:

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar till smooth. Add the egg and the Fiori di Sicilia, again beating till smooth.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the wet ingredients, and beat until the mixture forms a cohesive dough. Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls, and shake them in a plastic bag (or roll them in a pan) with granulated sugar or coarse sugar, until they're thoroughly coated. Place the balls, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased cookie sheets. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten the balls to about 2 inches in diameter, about 3/8-inch thick. If you want a more shiny-sugary, cracked appearance atop the cookies, flatten them out, brush them with a bit of water, then sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they're a VERY light golden brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. As they cool, they'll become crisp. If you want them to remain crisp, store them in an airtight container when they're totally cool. If you want them to get a bit chewy, leave them uncovered, or store in a bag with a slice of apple or a brown sugar softener.

Yield about 20 to 24 large (3-inch) cookies.