Brown Sugar Holly Leaves

Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Oven Temp: 350

 Ingredients

• 1 cup(s) butter (no substitutions), cut up  
• 2 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 3/4 cup(s) packed brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• Green sugar crystals and cinnamon red-hot candies (optional)
• Directions
  1. In 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.
  2. Meanwhile, on waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In 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 hand to form a ball.)
  4. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Between two 12-inch sheets of waxed paper, roll 1 piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. (If paper wrinkles during rolling, peel it off, then replace it to remove wrinkles.) Repeat with remaining 2 pieces of dough. Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until firm enough to cut. (Or, place dough in freezer 30 minutes.)
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 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 3-inch holly-leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible, reserving trimmings. (If dough is too firm and cracks, let stand 5 minutes to soften slightly.) Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Wrap and refrigerate trimmings.
  6. Using back of paring knife, draw lines on cookies to resemble veins. Sprinkle green sugar along lines and press some cinnamon candies at one end to resemble holly berries if you like.
  7. Bake cookies 10 to 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.
  8.