HAPPY ELF COOKIES

When I saw this recipe at internet, I was so trill with it. I made this cookies with my boys and we really have a lot of fun in baking these cookies.

Cookie Ingredients:

1		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1		cup sugar
1		egg
2		tablespoons orange juice
1		tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2		cups all-purpose flour
1		teaspoon baking powder

Coating Ingredients:

12

ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark)

Decorations Ingredients:

		Sanding sugars, coconut, decorator sparkle gels, decorator
		candies such as (starlight mint candy, candy buttons, mini
		pastel chips, red and green swirled chips,
		jumbo confetti), as desired

METHOD :

Combine butter, sugar, egg, orange juice and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder. Beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into a ball; flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Heat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-third at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch round ornament cookie cutter. Place 1-inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges just begin to turn lightly browned. Cool completely.

Place candy coating in deep 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted (5 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat.

Working with a few cookies at a time, dip top one-third of cookie into melted coating; shake off excess. Place onto waxed paper. Immediately, before coating hardens, decorate dipped portions to create hats. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Decorate as desired using candies to create eyes, nose, cheeks and mouth. Attach candies to cookies with a dab of melted candy coating. Let set 15 minutes to allow candy coating to harden.

Store in single layers in loosely covered container.