Holiday Spiced Cookies

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine or 1/2 cup butter flavor crisco
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
• confectioners' sugar

Recipe

• 1 in a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. beat in the eggs and extracts.
• 2 in another bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, pepper and spices.
• 3 gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
• 4 chill for 2 hours.
• 5 preheat oven to 375º.
• 6 shape the dough with 2 teaspoons into ovals and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. this yields about 5 dozen cookies.
• 7 bake 8-10 minutes. remove from the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
• 8 for a softer cookie, use a scoop to measure out an amount roll into a ball (about 1") and flatten out on an ungreased cookie sheet and press down with a fork and bake at 375º for 8-10 minutes. this yields about 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
• 9 cool and store in airtight containers.
• 10 these cookies keep well and mellow with age. they are at their best about 1 week to 10 days.