Galaxy Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• food coloring
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• dates (anything you want to put in the middle. Coconut, nuts, colored sugar, candies, chocolate pieces) or nuts or semisweet chocolate pieces or candied cherries or maraschino cherry or decorative candies (anything you want to put in the middle. Coconut, nuts, colored sugar, candies, chocolate pieces or c)

Icing

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light cream or 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat over to 350°F.

2. 2

   Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, vanilla, and, if desired, a few drops of food coloring.

3. 3

   Work in salt and flour until dough holds together.

4. 4

   If dough is dry, mix in 1 to 2 Tbsp light cream.

5. 5

   Mold dough by tablespoonfuls around date, nut, candy, cherry, or a few chocolate pieces.

6. 6

   Roll into balls.

7. 7

   Place cookies about 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

8. 8

   Bake 12-15 minutes until set but not brown.

9. 9

   Prepare icing by mixing confectioners sugar with light cream or milk and vanilla until smooth.

10. 10

    If desired, stir in a few drops of food coloring.

11. 11

    For a tasty chocolate icing, increase light cream to 3 tbsp and stir in 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate.

12. 12

    Let cookies cool, then dip tops of cookies into icing several times to get a good layer.

13. 13

    If desired, immediately decorate with coconut, nuts, colored sugar, candies, chocolate pieces or chocolate shot.

14. 14

    Makes 20 to 25 cookies.

15. 15

    Variations: Brown Sugar Galaxy Cookies: Substitute 1/2 c brown sugar (packed) for the confectioners' sugar and omit food color.

16. 16

    Chocolate Galaxy Cookies: Omit food color and stir in 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate (cooled) into butter mixture.