Sift flour and measure. Resift with sugar and baking powder onto a flat surface. Cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Make a well in flour and break eggs into it. Add vanilla, and knead dough well for about 5 minutes until it is smooth, adding a little more flour if dough seems to soft and sticky.
Pinch off bits of dough about the size of an apricot, and form into desired shapes. Cookies may be baked as rings, strips, or in letters, such as S.
Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet and bake in hot 450 degree F (230 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Watch carefully, because they burn easily.
