Halloween Howler Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (lightly packed) brown sugar
• 1⁄3 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1⁄3 cup (room temperature) shortening
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp white sugar.
• 1⁄2 cup chocolate M&M’s
• 2 tbsp small red candies
• large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, sifter, baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, small plate, flat-bottomed glass, fork, lifter, cooling rack

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Beat together the brown sugar, butter and shortening until creamy. Stir in the egg, orange juice and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Blend well.

Form the dough into 3 cm (11⁄4 in.) balls and place on the baking sheet about 4 cm (11⁄2 in.) apart. Pour the white sugar onto the plate. Dip the glass bottom in the sugar, then flatten a ball with it. Repeat for each ball. Pinch ears, and add M&M’s eyes and a red nose. Make whiskers by pressing the fork into the dough.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until firm. Cool for 3 minutes, then transfer cookies to the cooling rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 21⁄2 dozen cookies

Options: Don’t decorate the faces beforebaking. When cookies are cool,spread with icing, then add candyeyes and nose, shoestring licoricewhiskers and candy-corn ears.

Look at a more detailed version of this craft.

This craft is from Bake and Make Amazing Cookies by Elizabeth MacLeod. Available from Kids Can Press.