Peppermint Stockings

By Hklbrries

Old-fashioned, crispy cookies look like stockings hung for Santa. Paste food coloring will give good intensity of color without diluting the icing. These were originally shown as stocking-shaped cookies that look like "old timey" socks - with a red heel, red toes, and red around the top.

Ingredients

• Cookies:
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• Icing:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tbsp milk
• Red paste food coloring

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg and extracts. Add the dry ingredients alternately with milk. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using desired cookie cutter, cut out dough. Transfer cookies to a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly browned around edges. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

For icing, beat together sugar, butter and milk until smooth. Stir in food coloring. Ice cookies as desired.