Green maraschino cherries and chocolate chips create real eyes on a snickerdoodle cookie.
| 2 |
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tablespoons sugar |
| 1/2 |
|
teaspoon ground cinnamon |
| 24 |
|
green maraschino cherries, drained, cut in half* |
|
|
Chocolate chips or cinnamon candies |
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|
Red decorator gel, if desired |
Heat oven to 400°F. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients. Continue beating until well mixed.
Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until or cookies are just beginning to brown. Cool completely.
Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and half & half in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed.
Place maraschino cherries onto paper towels; pat dry.
To make eyeballs, spread about 1 teaspoon frosting onto center of each cookie. Top with 1 cherry half, rounded-side up. Press 1 chocolate chip, bottom-side up, into cherry hole. Use decorator gel to make veins. Store in loosely covered containers.
*Substitute green or red candied cherries. You may be able to find blue, yellow or orange maraschino cherries in jars in some supermarkets.
Recipe Tip
Red decorator gel is available in tubes in the baking aisle of the supermarket. It takes longer to set than frosting, so allow decorated cookies to set about 30 minutes before storing.
