CHOCOLATE REINDEER COOKIES

Chocolate Reindeer Cookies image

Assemble Santa's sleigh over the holidays with adorable chocolate reindeer cookies.

Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories Dessert

Time 2h

Yield 32

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 cups Gold Medal™ flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (3 oz)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
16 caramels, unwrapped
16 chocolate licorice twists (7 inch)
1 pouch (7 oz) Betty Crocker™ Cookie Icing chocolate icing
1 pouch (7 oz) Betty Crocker™ Cookie Icing white icing
1 pouch (7 oz) Betty Crocker™ Cookie Icing red icing
32 bite-size chocolate-covered caramels (from 10-oz box)
64 brown mini candy-coated milk chocolate candies

Steps:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray or line with cooking parchment paper. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In small microwavable cup, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 30 to 45 seconds, stirring after 30 seconds, until melted and smooth; set aside.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Add melted chocolate; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat until soft dough forms. Refrigerate dough 20 minutes.
Shape dough into 64 (1-inch) and 32 (3/4-inch) balls. For each cookie, arrange 1 (3/4-inch) and 2 (1-inch) balls, edges touching, on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely before decorating.
Meanwhile, to make ears, cut caramels in half horizontally. Cut each half into quarters, making 64 thin squares. Using fingers, slightly press together opposite corners squares, forming leaf shapes (see photo); set aside.
To make antlers, cut each licorice twist into 4 (1 3/4-inch) pieces. Cut 2 (1-inch) slits in each piece, creating 3 sections; cut off half of each outer section (see photo).
To Make Reindeer: Pipe 4 small dollops chocolate icing onto smaller portion of cooled cookie; press on ears and antlers. For eyes, pipe white icing onto cookie in 2 small oval-shaped dollops; press 1 milk chocolate candy on each. For nose, pipe small dollop of chocolate icing onto cookie; press on 1 chocolate-covered caramel. Using red icing, pipe mouth onto cookie.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 110, Carbohydrate 17 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 2 1/2 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 85 mg, Sugar 11 g, TransFat 0 g