Almond Cookie Wreaths

1 cup sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

½ cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon green food color

Red candied cherries

Mix sugar, margarine, milk, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough into halves. Tint 1 half with food color. (For monochromatic wreath, tint second half with 3 drops green food color.) Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

For each wreath, shape 1 teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope. For smooth, even ropes, roll back and forth on sugared surface. Place 1 green and 1 white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Shape each into circle with ends meeting; press bits of candied cherries on wreath for holly berries. Heat oven to 375°. Bake until set and very light brown, 9 to 12 minutes. About 4½ dozen cookies.

Chocolate-Nut Fingers: For each cookie, roll 1 teaspoon dough into 24-inch length. Heat Y. cup semisweet chocolate chips until melted. After baking, dip ends of cookies into melted chocolate, then into chopped nuts. About 8 dozen cookies.

Peppermint Candy Canes: Substitute 1 teaspoon peppermint extract for the almond extract. Substitute ½ teaspoon red food color for the green. Roll ropes on floured surface. After placing on cookie sheet, curve down top of cookie to form handle of cane. After baking, immediately sprinkle cookies with mixture of 2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candy and 2 tablespoons sugar.

 

It is a quote. Betty Crocker’s Christmas Cookbook 1982