THE COOKIE CUTTER RECIPES

Steps:

• In an electric mixer cream the butter with the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, mix well. Sift together the flour and salt, add it to the wet ingredients beating until just incorporated. Place the dough in a 1 gallon size plastic bag. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured board roll the dough to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Remove rolled dough to a lightly floured board and using any shape cookie cutter cut the dough into shapes. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies). Remove to a rack and cool before decorating. Place the rack with the cookies over another pan to catch the excess chocolate. Put the chocolate in a quart size plastic bag. Place the bag with the chocolate in a saucepan with hot water. Allow the chocolate to melt, squeezing the bag to mix occasionally. Snip one of the corners off and drizzle chocolate over the cookies. Allow chocolate to set before serving.;
• To decorate: 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
• In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add flour; stir with spoon or hands until well blended. (DO NOT EAT RAW COOKIE DOUGH AFTER COMBINING WITH FLOUR.) Place cookie dough on cookie sheet; press into 15x8-inch rectangle. With pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into 30 (4x1-inch) sticks (do not separate).
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Cut into 30 sticks with pizza cutter or sharp knife. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks, separating into cookie sticks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, melt candy coating as directed on package. Dip one end of each stick into candy coating; dip or sprinkle with sugar crystals.