Sugar and Spice Cookies

Photo: Chef Lana

Ingredients

3 tablespoons shortening

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar, plus additional sugar for pressing cookies

2 tablespoons half and half

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground cardamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I used freshly grated nutmeg.)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

sliced almonds for garnish

Preparation

Cream shortening, butter, and sugar. Add egg, half and half, and vanilla.

Sift flour, cardamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder together and add to creamed mixture. Mix well.

Roll into balls, using a tablespoon for measurement. Place on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Wet the bottom of a flat bottomed glass, dip bottom in sugar, and press cookie dough ball to the size of a silver dollar. Press sliced almonds into top of cookie dough.

Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 10 minutes. Let cookies cook for 2 to 3 minutes on cookie sheet and them transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Store in a cookie jar or other air tight container. Freezes well.