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8 cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

4 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp bkg soda

3 cups vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and baking soda until well-blended. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 10-12 weeks. Makes about 16 cups of BASIC COOKIE MIX.

Very Vanilla Cookies

3 cups Basic Cookie Mix

3 tbsp milk

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 egg

Sugar or frosting, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets. In a large bowl, combine basic cookie mix, milk, vanilla and egg. Blend well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake 10-15 minutes, until edges are golden. Frost, if desired. Makes about 2 dozen.

Variations:

Spice Vanilla Cookies: Add 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and ½ cup nuts to dough.

Cocoa Cookies: Add 2 tbsp cocoa and increase milk to 2 tbsp. Frost, if desired.

Holiday Pinwheels: Divide dough in half. Color half green and half red. Cover each half with wax paper and roll out to rectangles of equal size. Remove wax paper. Place one rectangle on top of other and roll like a jelly roll. Chill 2-3 hours. Cut into 1/8 inch slices.

Sweet and Spicy Cookies

2 cups Basic Cookie Mix

4 tbsp molasses

½ tsp vanilla

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets. In a medium bowl, combine basic cookie mix, molasses, vanilla, egg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. Stir until blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes, until edges are browned. Makes about 24 cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 cups Basic Cookie Mix

2 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips (6 oz pkg)

½ cup nuts or coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets. In a large bowl, combine Basic Cookie Mix, milk and egg. Blend well. Stir in nuts or coconut and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Makes about 36 cookies, 2"-2 ¼" each.

Peanut Butter Cookies

3 cups Basic Cookie Mix

¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

½ cup chunky peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Blend well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheets and flatten with fork tines. Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are browned. Makes 30-36 cookies.

Variation:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies: On baking sheets, press thumb into center of balls. Do not flatten. Fill with grape jelly.

Date-filled Drop Cookies

4 cups Basic Cookie Mix

½ tsp cinnamon

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup water or buttermilk

Walnut halves

Date filling:

1 cup chopped dates

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp water

¼ cup chopped nuts

Prepare date filling as follows: In a small saucepan, combine dates, sugar and water. Cook over med heat about 5-10 minutes, stirring, until thick. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Stir in chopped nuts. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets. In a large bowl, combine Basic Cookie Mix, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla and water or buttermilk. Blend well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Spoon ½ tsp of filling on top of each cookie, depressing dough slightly. Cover each with another tsp of dough. Top with walnut half. Bake 10-12 minutes, until browned. Makes 30-36 cookies.