Ingredients: 4 cups sugar 2 cups white vegetable shortening ( such as Crisco ) 6 eggs 2 cups buttermilk 4 tsp lemon or vanilla or anise extract 2 tsp cream of tartar 2 tsp baking soda 7 1/2 cups flour ( see instructions below ) Optional: white icing or glaze colored sugar sprinkle, nuts etc Directions:Cream shortening and sugar with electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add buttermilk, flavor extract, baking soda and cream of tarter and blend well. Now by hand with a wooden spoon, add flour 1 cup at a time until the mixture is stiff. Drop from heaping tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. If not icing you may press on the nuts or sprinkles now ( or you can ice or frost and decorate with sprinkles after baking ). Bake in a preheated 425F oven, center oven rack, 10 to 13 minutes or until cookie edges are slightly brown and tops look set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Overbaking cause dry , hard cookies. Carefully remove to rack to cool.Frost or decorate as desired. Notes: recipe may be halved, cookies freeze well, for best baking use an insulated baking sheet as these tend to burn on the bottom. Store airtight |