How to Make Groundhog Cookies

The tradition of making cookies for Groundhog Day seems to be growing, with new recipes being introduced every year. One beloved recipe originated in Europe, where the old holiday of Candlemas provided the beginnings for the North American holiday of Groundhog Day.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Oven
• Baking sheet
• Cooling rack
• Mixing bowl
• Egg
• Flour
• Sugar
• Butter
• Spices
• Candied fruit
• Milk
• Icing or frosting
• Toothpicks
• Computer printer or copier
• Stock images of groundhogs
• Scissors

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Add 1 cup of self-rising flour to the mixing bowl. Use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. mixed spice to mix in with the flour.

3. Fold in 4 oz. of butter to the flour mix to make your groundhog cookies. It will be easier to add the butter if you have allowed it to sit out for a few minutes and soften slightly. Mix the butter with the dry ingredients thoroughly until it maintains an even consistency, like bread crumbs.

4. Pour 1/2 cup of granulated sugar into the mix and stir.

5. Stir 4 oz. of the candied fruit into the mix. You can choose whatever candied fruit you desire, from dried lemon rinds to mixes that are more colorful.

6. Add 2 tbsps. of milk and 1 medium egg, and continue to stir until it achieves an even consistency. The dough will be a little dry and crumbly when you make your cookies.

7. Divide the dough into 6 large portions, and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Put the sheet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

8. Remove the groundhog cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

9. Find an image of a groundhog online or from a magazine. You will need to print up 6 images of the groundhog for your 6 cookies.

10. Cut out the image of the groundhog with a pair of scissors, and carefully affix a toothpick to the back of each image.

11. Stick the toothpick into the center of each cookie. It will look like each groundhog is standing at the top of its burrow, scanning the horizon for food.

Tips & Warnings

• Through practice, you may be able to shape the cookie dough into the shape of a groundhog. You also can use icing or frosting to draw the face of a groundhog on the cookies.

[barbarastanley]

on 9/10/2009 Wow. This was fantastic. I have to try this.