Ornament Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
decoration: red cinnamon candies, colored sprinkles, gumdrops, optional Decorator Frosting (recipe below)

Cream butter, sugar, egg, peppermint extract and milk in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. Mix until well blended.

Divide dough into quarters; wrap tightly. Chill 2 or 3 hours. Roll out dough, 1/4 at a time, to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

Cut half the dough with a gingerbread boy or girl cookie cutter, or use star, bell, reindeer, Santa Claus or other Christimas shapes; cut remaining dough into 3-by-2 1/2-inch rectangles to resemble gift tags. Make hole in end of each cookie for hanging on tree.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Make buttons on gingerbread cookies and holly berries on gift tags with cinnamon candies.

Bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until firm. Cool on wire racks. Decorate cookies using decorator frosting and, if desired, colored sprinkles and gumdrops.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Decorator Frosting: Combine 2 1/3 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract in small mixer bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very stiff.

[Newspaper clipping]