COOKIES & TREATS/ HOLLY CLUSTERS

                          BY MARGARET "ROSIE" RICKETTS MENCER

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

green food coloring

red mini- candy coated chocolate candies

(M&M's)

IN medium bowl, whisk flour, baking

powder and salt.  

IN large bowl, beat butter and 

sugar until smooth.  Beat in egg, then

yolk and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture.

Tint dough green with food coloring.

Wrap dough in plastic, refrigerate for

24 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a heaping

tsp of dough, shape into a 2 inch log.  Place

on ungreased baking sheet..  With scissors held 

at a 45 degree angle, make 3 snips along the 

length of the log, on the top, at 1/2 in. intervals

(don't cut completely through dough).  Twist

cut pieces in opposite directions, to form

leaf shaped pieces that are still attached to each

other.  Pinch top and bottom of leaves slightly.

Repeat with remaining dough.  Decorate with one 

or two red candies per cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Joan says:  "Rosie made these for our Family Christmas Cookie Exchange in 1991."

Photo of Rosie at the Ricketts Family Farm making cookies 

for the Christmas Cookie Exchange, December 1991.

This would be our last Christmas to share love and joy with her.