Brown Sugar Holly Cookies

1 cup butter, cup up (no substitutes)

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 inch holly leaf cookie cutter

green sugar crystals

cinnamon red hot candies

In a 2 quart saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted and

lightly browned. Pour browned butter into small bowl and refrigerate

until cold, but not firm, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, on waxed paper,

combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, with mixer at medium

speed, beat browned butter and sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping

bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Reduce

speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture until blended. Dough will be crumbly;

gather together with hands and form ball. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Between

two 12 inch sheets of waxed paper, roll 1 piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. Repeat with

remaining 2 pieces of dough. Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until firm enough to cut.( Or

place dough in freezer for 30 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove 1 piece of dough from refrigerator. Peel off top sheet

of waxed paper and replace. Turn dough over and remove top sheet of waxed paper. With a

3" cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible, reserving trimmings. (If dough cracks,

let it warm for 5 minutes.) Place cookies, 1 inch apart on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Wrap and refrigerate trimmings. Using back of paring knife, draw lines on cookies, to resemble

veins. Sprinkle green sugar along lines and press some cinnamon candies at 1 end to resemble

holly berries. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned at edges. Transfer cookies to

wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings. Store cookies in tightly covered

container at room temperature up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.