Funny Face Cookies Makes 3 dozen cookies (Seven grade students created a "Funny Face" cookie contest. Art teachers judged the most creative faces and awarded prizes. Entries were donated to a children's help organization.) ½ cup butter or margarine ½ cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate pieces (about 48) Food coloring 2 sandwich-sized food storage bags 1 gallon-sized food storage bag Day 1 - Prepare the dough 1. In large mixing bowl at medium speed on the electric mixer, beat together butter and shortening until creamy. Add the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. 2. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until well-blended. 3. In separate medium-sized bowl, measure the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together with a wire whisk until well-combined. With a spoon, stir into butter mixture until well-blended. 4. In small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate pieces (about 1 minute at full power.) Stir with a spoon until smooth. Add ½ cup of the dough. Stir until the chocolate is well-blended into the dough and there are no more streaks. Seal the chocolate dough in a sandwich-sized food storage bag. 5. In another small bowl, put another ½ cup of the dough. Drop 5 drops yellow and 5 drops red food coloring on top of the dough. Stir and mash with fork until the colors are well-blended into the dough and there are no more streaks. Seal the orange dough in a sandwich-sized food storage bag. 6. Put the remaining dough in the gallon-sized food storage bag. Put the chocolate and orange dough bags on top of the plain dough. Use a twist tie to tie the bags together. Refrigerate overnight. Day 2 - Create funny faces 1. Preheat oven to 325°F. After washing hands and surfaces, give each person in your group equal amounts of each of the three types of dough and give one ungreased baking sheet to the group. (Tips: Make the faces on the sheet so they don't have to be moved. On each sheet, make same-sized cookies for even baking.) 2. Have each person create one funny face cookie for the contest, choose one per group for grading and use the rest for donation or celebration. (Tips: To make hair, squeeze dough through a garlic press directly onto the cookie, then trim with a knife. Use small balls of dough for features and press down gently. Use toothpicks to create freckles, whiskers, or other features.) 3. Bake at 325°F until lightly browned at edges and cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. 4. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then cool on a rack. Nutrition Information: One of 36 cookies (0.8 oz. each) provides: 109 calories; 6 g total fat (2.4 g saturated fat); 13 mg cholesterol; 35 mg sodium; 16 mg potassium; 13g carbohydrate; 1g protein; and 0.3 g dietary fiber **Extra credit** Older FACS students may want to use Funny Face Cookies to teach a younger group of children in an after-school or community program. The students can help the younger children learn the basics of measuring and baking - and creative fun. Colored Sugar for Decorating Makes ½ cup per color Have students assist an art or elementary teacher and his/her students to make colored sugar for decorating. Classes can donate a special handmade baked gift to local care center, children's concerns, and other causes. For an added personal touch, have your class or FCCLS/FHA group decorate the cookies on-site to add companionship and fun. 1. For each color, put ½ cup sugar in a resealable food storage bag. Pick a color from the chart and add the food coloring to the sugar in the bag. Seal bag. 2. Squeeze the sugar in the bag until it becomes evenly colored. Seal the colored sugar in the bag for storage. Color chart Orange = 2 drops yellow and 2 drops red Peach = 4 drops yellow and 1 drop red Yellow = 4 drops yellow Pale yellow = 2 drops yellow Green = 8 drops green Lime green = 3 drops yellow and 1 drop green Blue = 5 drops blue Turquoise blue = 3 drops blue and 1 drop green Baby blue = 2 drops blue Purple = 3 drops red and 2 drops blue Red = 10 drops red Rose = 5 drops red and 1 drop blue Pink = 1 drop red Source: Gold Medal, The Rainbow Bakery. A Color-full Adventure Children's Cookbook Back to The Kindness Company