Decorate-Before-You-Bake Cookies

 

3/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2

cup sugar

1

egg

1 3/4

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

1/4

teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4

teaspoon salt

2

tablespoons sugar

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

3

teaspoons milk

1/2

cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

4

drops red food color

4

drops green food color

• 1 In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Stir in 1 3/4 cups flour, the baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Knead dough into smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• 2 Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix 1/2 cup butter, the milk and 1/2 cup flour with fork until well mixed. Divide mixture in half. Stir red food color into 1 half and green food color into other half. Spoon each mixture into decorating bag fitted with small writing tip; set aside.
• 3 Heat oven to 375°F. Shape 1 half of the cookie dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. In small bowl, measure 2 tablespoons sugar. Dip bottom of glass into sugar, and use to flatten each ball into 1 1/2-inch round. Pipe colored mixture from decorating bags on each cookie in various holiday designs. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
• 4 Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Immediately remove to cooling rack.