BUTTER CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT RECIPES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the honey, egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour and salt., Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to an 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters dipped in flour. Transfer cutouts to ungreased baking sheets., Using a straw, make a hole in the top of each cookie. Remove the center circle of dough. Bake the cookies at 350° for 6 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool., For frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, corn syrup and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Tint the frosting with liquid or paste food coloring in desired colors., Place each color of frosting in a pastry or plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the tip of each bag. Spread and pipe frosting onto cookies as desired., If desired, create stitch marks on a stocking or veins on holly leaves by dipping a toothpick in food coloring and painting on the lines., For hanging loops, cut forty 8-in. strips of 1/8-in.-wide ribbon. Thread a ribbon strip through the hole in each cookie and tie the ends into a bow.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 (9-inch) square cake pans with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into pans. Bake 23 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely. Cut each cake horizontally to make 2 layers.
• Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread one-fourth of 1 container of frosting on cake to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with second cake layer, cut side down; spread with another one-fourth of the container of frosting. Repeat layers with remaining 2 cake layers and remaining first container of frosting. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting from second container. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Spoon reserved 1/2 cup frosting into decorating bag fitted with large round tip; pipe frosting around top and bottom edge of cake. Refrigerate until ready to decorate.
• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, butter and whole egg until soft dough forms. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with floured 4-inch ornament-shaped cookie cutters. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 1 inch apart.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired with cookie icing and yellow sugar. Attach cookies to sides of cake using icing. Insert 3 cookies on top of cake.