Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the shortening, sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Add the nutmeg, salt and baking powder to the flour and add alternately with the milk to the creamed egg-sugar mixture.

Mix well then roll on a floured board to 1/4 inch thickness.   Refrigerate, if desired for 1/2 hour prior to rolling.

Cut with a 3 inch round cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until very light brown.  Do not over brown.

For a variation of this cookie make them with a date filling -

2 cups chopped dates

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

Simmer until thick.  Cool slightly before using.

Variation 1 - After the cookies are baked and cooled, spread date filling on one cookie and top with another. 

Variation 2 - Before baking, place 1/2 tsp of the date filling on one side of the cut out cookie.  Fold the cookie in half and seal with a fork dipped in water or use your fingers. 

These were my favorite childhood cookies and my aunt always had them in her cookie jar.  As I got older she would let me and her daughter make them with her so these cookies have lots of memories for me.