Sugar Cookies

I really like sugar cookies, the soft ones.  But I only make them about once every 2 years, because to me, they are a lot harder than normal cookies.  My mom's recipe had a little harder cookies.  So if you like the harder one's, this may not be the recipe for you.  In high school, I liked the big sugar cookies with the pink frosting, these remind me of them.  My friend Michele would always buy them for me.  I couldn't say no.  I halved this recipe because it is pretty large.  The photos or these cookies aren't pretty but they taste too good not to share the recipe.

Ingredients: 
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
2/3 c shortening (I substituted butter and it turned out great)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
8 tsp milk
5 c flour (not anymore)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
optional: 1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions:
Cream wet (butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla).  Add rest of ingredients in order given.  Refrigerate dough (2 hrs).  Roll out dough on a floured surface.  Bake 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Frost cookies with your favorite frosting recipe after cookies cool.