1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg yolks beaten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Green sugar crystals
Tubes of red and green icing with tips
Red gumdrops
How to make it
In a large mixing bowl, cream
the butter with an electric mixer
on medium-low speed. Add the
sugar, salt and vanilla extract
and continue creaming until
light and fluffy. Beat in the
egg yolks. Gradually add the
flour until thoroughly combined
Gather the dough into a large
ball, cover with plastic wrap
and refrigerate for several
hours or overnight. Heat the
oven to 375 degrees. Cut the
ball of dough into 1/2-inch
slabs, and roll each to a
1/4-inch thickness on a
lightly floured surface
Use a holly cookie cutter to
cut out the cookies. Arrange
them 1/2 inch apart on an
ungreased cookie sheet
Sprinkle with green sugar
and lightly press the sugar
into the dough. Bake, one batch
at a time, for 10 to 14 minutes
or until set and golden. Cool
for 5 minutes, then transfer
to a rack to cool completely
To decorate the cookies, write
the name in the center of the
cookie and pipe icing along the
edges. Use icing to attach red
gumdrop "holly berries." Allow
the icing to harden before
placing on the table. Makes
five dozen 3-inch cookies