Family tree cookies

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
  
       Title: Family Tree Cookies
  Categories: Cookies, Chocolate
       Yield: 1 servings
  
   1 1/2 c  Firmly-packed brown sugar
     2/3 c  Crisco shortening
       1 tb Water
       1 ts Vanilla
       2    Eggs
   1 1/2 c  All-purpose flour
     1/3 c  Cocoa
     1/4 ts Baking soda
     1/2 ts Salt
       2 c  Miniature semi-sweet
            -chocolate chips
            Icing:
       2 c  Icing sugar
       3 tb Water; (3 to 5)
            Decoration: (optional)
            Spearmint leaf-shaped gum
            -drops
            Sugar cookie leaves
            =(cut from scraps of
            Sugar shield cookies: opt)
  
   1. Preheat oven to 375F (180C). Line cookie sheet with
   foil.
   2. Combine brown sugar, shortening, water and vanilla in
   large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until
   well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture.
   3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix into
   creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in
   chocolate chips.
   4. Refrigerate dough at least one hour. Keep refrigerated
   until ready to use. Roll dough into ropes 1/2 inch (1 cm)
   in diameter. Join 2 or 3 ropes to form tree trunk at bottom
   of cookie sheet. Shape remaining dough on foil-lined baking
   sheets into tree branches.
   5. Bake at 375F (180C) for 9 to 11 minutes, or until
   cookie is set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking
   sheet. Remove cookie with foil from baking sheet and cool
   completely. Peel foil from back of cookie.
   6. For icing, combine icing sugar and 3 tablespoons (45 mL)
   water. Mix to blend well. Add additional water, a little at
   a time, if icing is too stiff. Add additional icing sugar
   if icing is too thin. Place icing in pastry bag fitted with
   small round writing tip. Alternately, place in small
   resealable plastic bag. Snip very small hole off one corner
   of bag. Pipe names onto branches of trees.
   7. If using cookie leaves tint remaining icing with green
   food colouring. Ice sugar cookie leaves. Attach to branches
   with icing. Attach spearmint leaves to branches with icing
   (optional).
     Makes: 2 tree cookies
  
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