Pat Egan's Christmas Tree Cookies

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Title: 1988 2nd Place: Pat Egan's Christmas Tree Cookies
Categories: Cookies, Holiday
Yield: 72 servings

2 1/2 c Flour
1 c Sugar
1 c Butter or margarine,
Softened
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Salt
1/2 ts Almond extract
1 Egg
1/4 c Green sugar crystals, about
1/4 c Confetti or nonpareil candy
Decorations, optional

Preparation time: 20 minutes Chilling time: 4 hours Baking time: 10
minutes

1. Put flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, almond extract
and egg into large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix together, using low
speed. Dough will be crumbly. Then knead dough with hands until
mixture holds together.

2. Remove 1/3 cup of the dough; wrap and refrigerate. Divide
remaining dough in thirds. Using hands, roll each into a 6-inch log.

3. Put sugar crystals on a sheet of wax paper. Roll each log in the
sugar crystals to coat well; use the wax paper as a guide to press in
crystals. Shape each log into a triangle, pressing gently on wax
paper to give three sharp corners. Make sure to make 2 sides longer
than the third side. Wrap each log well and refrigerate at least 4
hours or until dough is firm enough to slice. To this point, cookies
can be made up to a week in advance.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. To bake, slice logs crosswise into
1/4-inch slices. Put slices about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie
sheets. For each cookie, shape about 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved 1/3
cup dough into a tree trunk. Attach to bottom underside of each tree.
Sprinkle each cookie lightly with candy decorations, if desired. Bake
until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove to wire
racks. Cool completely.

Note: The logs can be divided and shaped into 3 sizes and sliced to
form a 3-tiered tree. These second-place winning cookies are easily
shaped into trees that are edged with glittery green sugar.
Of her simple cookies, Pat Egan of Dolton, Illinois writes,
"They're not a fancy or gourmet cookie, but a simple symbol of the
Christmas season that is so close to my heart." from the Chicago
Tribune annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December 8, 1988

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