Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

3 1/4 c All-purpose flour

1 1/2 c Sugar

2/3 c Shortening

2 Eggs

2 1/2 ts Double-acting baking powder

2 tb Milk

1 ts Vanilla extract

1/2 ts Salt

1 Egg white*

----------------------------------TOPPING---------------------------------- Finely chopped nuts or Granulated sugar * slightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon water Let your children pick out their favorite cookie cutters for these sweet sugar cookies. ln a large bowl, measure all ingredients except egg white and topping. With mixer at medium speed, beat until well mixed scraping sides of bowl. Mixture will be crumbly. Shape dough into ball and wrap with waxed paper; refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until easy to handle. When ready to start baking, preheat oven to 400? and lightly grease cookie sheets. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough at a time, keeping rest refrigerated. For crisp cookies, roll dough paper- thin. For softer cookies roll out dough 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into various shapes Reroll dough trimmings and continue to cut shapes. Place cookies 1/2-inch apart on cookie sheets. To glaze, brush tops of cookies with the beaten egg white and water mixture Sprinkle cookies with finely chopped nuts or granulated sugar. Bake for 8 minutes at 400? or until very light brown. Remove cookies to rack; cool completely. Yield: 5 dozen. Larry Rosenberg, author of Muffins & Cupcakes (published by The American Cooking Guild), Fairview, NJ. Randy Shearer