Funny Monkey Face Cookies*
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp banana extract, optional
2 squares (2 oz) semisweet chocolate, melted
1 box (16 oz) confectioners' sugar
6 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp powdered egg whites
brown food coloring
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside. Using mixer on high, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and extracts; add chocolate until blended. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture and beat until a stiff dough forms. Divide dough in half; shape into 1-inch thick disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets. Roll dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Using a monkey template, cut out shapes; transfer to baking sheets.
Bake cookies until firm, about 8 minutes. Place sheets on wire racks; cool slightly. Transfer cookies to racks; cool completely.
In a large bowl, with mixer on medium, beat confectioners' sugar, water and powdered egg whites until thick and fluffy. Set aside 1 cup icing; divide remaining among 2 bowls. Using brown food coloring, tint 1 bowl light brown; tint second bowl dark brown.
Place 1/2 cup light brown icing into a pastry bag fitted with a small writing tip; outline cookie with wavy line. Inside wavy line, pipe outline of face. Thin remaining light brown icing with water; fill in outline of face. Let dry completely, about 45 minutes.
Fill a resealable plastic bag with white icing; snip off 1 corner and pipe eyes. Fill pastry bag fitted with a small writing tip with dark brown icing; pipe eyebrows, nose, ears, mouth and dots on white areas for eyes. Let dry, about 30 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen.