1/2 cup margarine, chilled
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vanilla or Cookie Icing (recipes follow)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream margarine and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl and set aside. Gradually add dry ingredients to sugar mixture, stirring until dough forms. Wrap in wax paper. Chill or freeze until firm.

Roll small portions of dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut using hat-shaped cookie cutters, or similar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on rack. Decorate with wide stripes white and red-colored vanilla or cookies icing.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

For dairy free version: Use dairy-free margarine.

For wheat-free version: Substitute 1 3/4 cups sweet rice flour and 1/2 cup tapioca flour for all-purpose flour.

For egg-free version: Substitute 3 teaspoons powdered egg replacer mixed with 1/4 cup water for eggs.

Vanilla Icing

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup milk
3 teaspoons vanilla
Red food coloring

Instructions: Cream sugar and margarine. Add milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Divide in half; use red dye to color one half to desired shade.

For dairy free version: Use dairy-free margarine and dairy-free milk.

No substitutions needed for wheat and eggs.

Cookie Icing

2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup water
Red food coloring

Instructions: Mix confectioners’ sugar with water until smooth. Divide in half; use red dye to color one half to desired shade.