Mincemeat Stars
My Dad makes these Mincemeat Star cookies every year for Christmas - it wouldn’t be Christmas without them. I’m not a big fan of mincemeat in pie, but these cookies are fabulous. (Don’t worry, it’s not the old-fashioned mincemeat with real meat (ugh) in it.)
MINCEMEAT STARS
Cookie dough:
1 1/3 cups shortening
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Mincemeat filling:
1 jar mincemeat filling
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon peel
1 tablespoon orange peel
Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, eggs, extracts, and vanilla. Stir in peel. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Divide dough in half; chill. On lightly floured surface, roll each half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with 2 ¾-inch round cutter. Cut small star centers in half of the cookies. Mix jar of filling with extracts and peel. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling on each plain cookie. Top with a cut-out cookie; press edges with fork to seal. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 F for 12 minutes. Makes 2 ½ dozen.
