Criss Cross Vanilla Cookies, easy great tasting crunchy vanilla cookie recipe sure to please! A traditional family recipe using basic pantry ingredients. A great all year round cookie recipe.

Crisscross Cookies!
Libby has kindly shared another of her family cookie recipes for us all to enjoy. It's one of her most requested cookies for sure!
These Criss Cross cookies are very easy to make with simple ingredients, but don't be fooled by that! They're really so addictive, you will find they will disappear in no time at all, so guard your cookie tin!
The flavor of vanilla in cookies is always a good thing. It adds a lovely gently sweet flavor to the cookies, still keeping them simple, yet great tasting.
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If you love vanilla, we have lots of tasty vanilla recipes so be sure to check those out!
These vanilla cookies are crunchy and will stay crisp for a few of days in an air tight container, even longer if you pop a slice of fresh bread in the container too.

Recipe by Libby Myrick
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
Approx 8 minutes
Yield
Makes 8 dozen
Ingredients
4 cups sifted flour
1 ½ teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ⅓ cup shortening
2 ½ cups brown sugar packed
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 eggs
Instructions
1. Sift flour, measure. Sift again with soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
2. Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually. Add vanilla and lemon flavoring and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture.
3. Mix until smooth. Chill for several hours.
4. Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. . Press lightly with the back of a fork, making a criss-cross pattern.

5. Bake 375 F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place on a cooling rack until completely cooled before storing in an air-tight container.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

Criss Cross Vanilla Cookies, easy great tasting crunchy vanilla cookie recipe sure to please! A traditional family recipe using basic pantry ingredients. A great all year round cookie recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups sifted flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cup shortening
- 2 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Sift flour, measure. Sift again with soda, cream of tartar and salt.
- Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually. Add vanilla and lemon flavoring and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture.
- Mix until smooth. Chill for several hours.
- Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. (I use parchment paper). Press lightly with tines of a fork, making a criss cross pattern.
- Bake 375 F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 96 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 65Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 26mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Here's a collection of delicious cookie recipes you can make for Christmas
Amaretti Style Cranberry and Orange Almond Cookies. These amaretti-style biscuits use minimal flour and have a light airy finish, fit to accompany desserts and drinks light as a feather and fat-free too!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Tiffin is a delicious American twist on the classic British Tiffin chocolate snack, made up of peanut butter, jelly, crushed cookies, chocolate and raisins. An easy no bake sweet chocolate bar recipe.
Easy Chocolate Tiffin is a delicious no-bake British recipe, made of chocolate, crushed cookies, syrup, and raisins, often served at English afternoon tea.
Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, AKA Elephant Ears. These are a very easy to make crispy puff pastry cookie, filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. Great for the holidays!
Amazing Ginger Cookies.
These amazing ginger cookies are a classic cookie, crisp and baked to give you a perfect cookie full of flavor. Perfect for Christmas or any time of the year.
White Chocolate and Cranberry Banana Drop Cookies.
These are a light, soft, fluffy cookie, loaded with white chocolate and cranberries. Great for using up those overripe bananas!
Cranberry and Orange Thins are very thin, crisp, buttery cookies, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Famous New Orleans Pecan Pralines. A great Southern, New Orleans institution! Delicious buttery brown sugar candy type cookie in one, made of pecans, butter, sugar, and milk. Great for Christmas time too!
Lemon and poppyseed thins are a very thin, crisp, buttery cookie, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Easy oatmeal cookies taste amazing! Soft and Chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, this basic oatmeal cookie recipe is great on it’s own or you can add chocolate, nuts or dried fruit. A simple classic cookie recipe
Alfajores De Maicena, delicious melt-in-the-mouth buttery shortbread cookies from Argentina, made with cornstarch and filled with Dulce de Leche then rolled in coconut.
Mini Meringue Cookies! These are a wonderful sweet treat made up of just 2 ingredients. Incredibly easy to make and are perfect for adding to desserts or eating just as they are.
Soft and Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies, decadent cookies with a peanut butter cookie dough and then filled with creamy peanut butter, a perfect cookie for PB fans!
Fluffy Amaretti Style Lemon Almond Cookies. These amaretti-style cookies are as light as a feather and fat-free too!
Double Chocolate and Orange Biscotti are lovely little Italian cookies perfect for having with a cup of coffee. Easy to make, and make perfect gifts too!
Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!
Joy Cookies. This is an easy recipe packed full of delicious chocolate, coconut and vanilla. These go fast so be sure to bake plenty!
Chinese Almond Cookies are simple little cookies, traditionally made for Chinese New Year. These cookies are soft, fluffy, and crumbly. The shape symbolizes coins and will give you good fortune in the coming new year! Easy recipe and are so addictive, be sure to make plenty!
Christmas Cookies with Sugar Icing. These little cookies are such fun to make! Get ready for the holidays and make up a batch. Great for gifts and there's a recipe for a super easy sugar icing too.
Florentine Cookies are a wonderful cookie type treat, with delicious nuts & fruit and coated on one side with white or dark or milk chocolate. Easy recipe!
Gingerman or even Gingerlady Cookies! Very cute and fun to make, have fun decorating these!
German Star Cookies, also known as Zimtsterne Cinnamon Cookies are a wonderful cookie for Christmas. They're crisp, chewy and spiced with all things nice!
Rum, Orange and Raisin Cookies - A delicious flavor combo, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies, a simple cookie recipe using pantry ingredients to give you the best ever cookies!
Quick Mix Spritz Cookies. These little cookies have a wonderful vanilla flavor and melt in your mouth. Easy to make! Get creative and make different shapes ready for Christmas!
Vanilla Butter Ring Cookies. These little cookies have a wonderful vanilla flavor and melt in your mouth. Easy to make!
French Palmier Cookies or Elephant Ears are a delicious little cookie filled with almonds and perfect for the holidays! Quick and easy to make too!
These Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies are packed full of flavor and incredibly easy to make. Loaded with goodies such as butterscotch and cinnamon, they're always popular and great with a nice cold glass of milk.
Lemon Melting Moments Cookies - A wonderful gentle lemon flavor with a melting sensation!
Pecan and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies. Soft and Chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, these are the BEST EVER oatmeal cookies, loaded with pecan nuts and raisins. A simple classic cookie recipe
Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies. A lovely easy recipe and great for gift packages at Christmas!
Chewy White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. Soft and Chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, these are the BEST EVER oatmeal cookies, loaded with white chocolate. A simple classic cookie recipe
Macadamia and White Chocolate Cookies. Perfect with a cup of tea or glass of milk! A very easy cookie recipe.
Grandma's Crunchy Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies recipe is easy to make, and great for gifts. Loaded with chocolate and nuts, and perfect for the holidays