1994 2nd place: surprise packages

1 c  Unsalted butter, softened
  2 1/4 c  All-purpose flour
    1/3 c  Confectioners'sugar, sifted
      1 ts Pure vanilla extract
      1 ts Water
     36    Thin layered chocolate
           Mint wafers (or other
           Flavor miniature
           chocolates), unwrapped
           Mmmmm---------------
           -------------icing----- -- €
           ---------------------------
           Confectioners' sugar
           Milk
           Food color, colored
           Sprinkles as desired
 

  
     1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready ungreased baking sheets.
     2. Beat butter in large bowl of electric mixer until light and
    fluffy. Beat in half of the flour, the sugar, vanilla and water until
    thoroughly combined.  Beat in the remaining flour.
     3. Use a scant 1 tablespoon of dough and press it flat and thin with
    your hands. Put a chocolate mint wafer in the center and fold the
    dough over to completely cover each chocolate and to form a neat,
    rectangular package. Pinch the edges to seal. Place 1 inch apart on
    ungreased baking sheets.
      4. Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool a
    few minutes on the baking sheets and then cool completely on wire
    racks.
     5. For icing, mix confectioners' sugar and milk to make a thin icing;
    color icing as desired. Use a small spatula to ice cookies. Decorate
    as desired so cookies resemble Christmas packages.
  
     For variety, second-place winner Carol Feezell of Skokie, Illinois
    uses several kinds of miniature candies in her pretty cookies. She
    suggests filling the cookies with chocolate mint wafers, such as
    Andes, or Hershey's Miniatures. We also enjoyed Lindt's orange
    chocolate thins when we made the cookies in the Tribune test kitchen.
    from the Chicago Tribune seventh annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie
    Contest December 8, 1994
 
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