• Cream the butter and Crisco until smooth. Add the eggs, beating after each one.
  2 sticks butter, 1 cup Crisco, 3 eggs
• Add the anise oil. Add the confectioner sugar slowly. Then, add the salt and baking soda.
  ¼ teaspoon anise oil, 2 cups powdered sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Next, add the flours, a little at a time.
  3 cups cake flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Place the dough in a bowl and cover it tightly. Chill overnight or for at least 3 hours.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Cover your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Generously cover your working area with flour. Make small balls of dough and place them back in the bowl and refrigerate. Take out one dough ball at a time to work with.
• Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough ball to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut out shapes keeping the cutters as close to each other as you can so you use up as much of the dough as possible. If there is any extra dough, roll it up in a ball, roll it out again and cut out more cookies.
• Place the cookies on your prepared cookie sheet. (It helps to use a floured spatula to get them off of the counter and onto the cookie sheet.)

Bake the Cookies

• Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
• Let the cookies cool slightly on the cookie sheet over a wire rack.
• Cool them completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting

• To make the frosting, combine the powdered sugar, softened butter, and milk in a mixing bowl. Mix well until it is smooth. You can use a hand mixer if it is easier for you. If the icing is too thick, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.
  3 ¾ cups powdered sugar, ½ cup butter, 3-4 tablespoons milk, 4 drops anise oil, You may use more powdered sugar and/or milk
• If you prefer the icing to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. Mix until you get your desired frosting consistency.
• Divide the icing into smaller bowls and add a few drops of food coloring into each small bowl, mixing with a spoon until the color is the color you desire. You can make different shades of pink using red food coloring or my swirling raspberry jam or raspberry preserves with icing.
  icing food coloring

Decorate the Cookies

• Frost the cookies with a butter knife or an icing spatula, and top with sprinkles. Let the icing harden, and enjoy!
  festive sprinkles