Gather
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
extra sugar
O-shaped cereal
mini chocolate chips
almonds
Go
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
3. In a second bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and blend well.
4. Divide dough in half and place in two bowls. Add cocoa powder to dough in one bowl and mix well.
5. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and chill for an hour, or until firm enough to handle.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Roll dough into small, marble-sized balls (about 1 teaspoon each).
8. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Put one chocolate and one vanilla dough ball side-by-side. Dip flat-bottom glass into sugar and press down on the center of the two balls to flatten into an owl head.
9. Pinch top of the cookie on each side to form owl ears.
10. Use cereal for eyes. Add mini chocolate chips, with points down, in the center of O’s.
11. Add almonds for beaks.
12. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly brown around the edges and still soft to touch.
13. Pull sheet of parchment with cookies onto a cooling rack. When cool, remove cookies from paper. Store in covered container. Makes 3 dozen owl cookies.
Shortcut: Use store-bought sugar cookie dough. Skip steps 1-3. For step 4, add less cocoa powder (1 tablespoon) to the chocolate bowl. In the other bowl, mix in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Follow steps 7-11 as written. Bake cookies according to directions on package. A 16-ounce package of dough will make about 20 owl cookies.
