Christmas Cookies

For Christmas this year, I decided to hang these edible pretty treats on a Christmas tree as a gift for the Fat rascal! I love how cheerful the little tree looks! This recipe is from Donna Hay's Dec/Jan 2012 magazine.

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 T Dutch cocoa, sifted

Place butter and sugar in electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat for a further 2-3 minutes or until combined. Add the flour and beat until a smooth dough forms. Remove 2/3 of the dough. Set aside. Add the cocoa to the mixer and beat until combined. Roll each dough portion out between 2 sheets of non stick baking paper to 3mm- thick and refridgerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Preheat oven to 160c. Using a 7cm round cookie cutter, cut 8 rounds from the vanilla dough. Using a 4.5cm star shaped cookie cutter, cut stars from the cocoa dough and place on top of the vanilla rounds. Place cookies on lightly greased baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool on wire racks. Makes 8.