Day 905's Christmas Essential: Sugar Cookies

This week I'm going to share what I consider Christmas essentials -- the things that make the holiday special to me. First up, a certain recipe for sugar cookies that my mom has been making for as long as I can remember. She still uses the recipe card she first wrote when she got it from a friend while living in Kansas (did you know that I was born in Kansas?). It's stained and wrinkled and smells slightly of Crisco oil, but we pull it every year. These probably aren't the kind of sugar cookies you're used to having, but they are delicious, with a little lemony bite. Santa must approve, as he used to gobble them up on Christmas Eve at our house.

Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup Crisco oil
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 eggs
1 cup margarine, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Put all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix at medium speed for 4 minutes. Then add:

4 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Blend until well-mixed. Refrigerate dough for at least 4 hours (overnight is best). Roll into walnut-sized balls and roll in colored sugar (available in the baking aisle).

Place on ungreased baking sheet and flatten with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.