Old Fashioned Cake-Like Sugar Cookies

Christmas and sugar cookies are a natural combination, but these cookies aren't quite like normal sugar cookies. I got this recipe from allrecipes, where it was called Old Time Soft Sugar Cookies, while searching for a something similar to the cookies my mother remembers from her childhood.  These cookies are very soft, more like tiny sponge cakes than cookies. We topped them with red and green sugar for Christmas, and also mixed some red and green sugar into the batter to try to up the sweetness and color. They aren't the sweetest cookies in the world and may benefit from some frosting or added flavoring.

Old Fashioned Cake-Like Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Sugar for topping

Cream together shortening and sugar. Stir in egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir to combine. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle tops of cookies with sugar before baking.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes or until set.