Family Tree Cookies

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Family Tree Cookies
Categories: Cookies, Chocolate
Yield: 1 servings

1 1/2 c Firmly-packed brown sugar
2/3 c Crisco shortening
1 tb Water
1 ts Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1/3 c Cocoa
1/4 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
2 c Miniature semi-sweet
-chocolate chips
Icing:
2 c Icing sugar
3 tb Water; (3 to 5)
Decoration: (optional)
Spearmint leaf-shaped gum
-drops
Sugar cookie leaves
=(cut from scraps of
Sugar shield cookies: opt)

1. Preheat oven to 375F (180C). Line cookie sheet with
foil.
2. Combine brown sugar, shortening, water and vanilla in
large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until
well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix into
creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in
chocolate chips.
4. Refrigerate dough at least one hour. Keep refrigerated
until ready to use. Roll dough into ropes 1/2 inch (1 cm)
in diameter. Join 2 or 3 ropes to form tree trunk at bottom
of cookie sheet. Shape remaining dough on foil-lined baking
sheets into tree branches.
5. Bake at 375F (180C) for 9 to 11 minutes, or until
cookie is set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking
sheet. Remove cookie with foil from baking sheet and cool
completely. Peel foil from back of cookie.
6. For icing, combine icing sugar and 3 tablespoons (45 mL)
water. Mix to blend well. Add additional water, a little at
a time, if icing is too stiff. Add additional icing sugar
if icing is too thin. Place icing in pastry bag fitted with
small round writing tip. Alternately, place in small
resealable plastic bag. Snip very small hole off one corner
of bag. Pipe names onto branches of trees.
7. If using cookie leaves tint remaining icing with green
food colouring. Ice sugar cookie leaves. Attach to branches
with icing. Attach spearmint leaves to branches with icing
(optional).
Makes: 2 tree cookies

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