PINK PEPPERMINT MELT-A-WAYS

Steps:

• 1. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch, then set the bowl aside.
• 2. In a large bowl cream together until light and fluffy, the butter and the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
• 3. Mix in the peppermint extract.
• 4. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, and mix well.
• 5. Thoroughly mix the food coloring into the cookie dough.
• 6. At this point, I refrigerate the cookie dough (in a bowl covered with aluminum foil), so the dough firms up enough to shape into dough balls. This may take anywhere from 1-2 hours. (I let mine set overnight in the refrigerator, and bake mine the next day when I have the time.) I then let the dough sit on the counter (in the bowl covered with foil) for about an hour, before making the cookies.
• 7. When ready to bake the cookies, heat your oven to 350º F. And in a shallow bowl, add the 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar. Set the bowl aside. (Use more powdered sugar if need be.)
• 8. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• 9. Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls. (I used a small cookie scoop which is equivalent to 1 tablespoon to make each cookie, then shape the cookie dough into 1" balls.)
• 10. Place the dough balls 2-inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets.
• 11. Place baking sheets in the oven, and bake for about 13 minutes (until the bottoms of cookies are lightly brown) then remove from oven, and let cookies set 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing them to a wire rack.
• 12. Gently roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar, then place the powdered coated cookies back on the wire racks.
• 13. Once the cookies have cooled slightly, gently roll them again in the powdered sugar, and place them back on the wire racks to finish cooling.
• 14. Note: I had noticed after baking 2 sheets of cookies, the cookie dough was becoming soft, so I place the remaining cookie dough back in the refrigerator, so it could firm up a bit, then finished baking the cookies. Also, once these cookies had cooled, I then place them in a container (such as Tupperware or Rubbermaid) and in the freezer, as these cookies do keep well if stored in the freezer. I then only take out a few cookies at a time when I want to serve them.