Chile Pepper Christmas Cookies Recipe

=== COOKIES ===
12 tb Unsalted butter
3/4 c Sugar
1 lg Egg
1 tb Finely-grated lemon zest
1 ts Pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 c All-purpose flour
1/4 ts Salt
=== COOKIE PAINT ===
2 lg Egg yolks; see * Note
Food coloring; as needed

* Note: Lightly beaten and separated in equal portions into 2 or more
bowls or cups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften the butter. In a mixing bowl,
cream the sugar and butter and add the egg, lemon zest and vanilla.
Beat until blended. Whisk together the flour and salt and gradually
add them to the creamed mixture, on low speed. Add water, a few drops
at a time, until the dough starts to come away from the side of the
bowl. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly-floured
surface. Cut out chile pepper shapes, using a cookie cutter or
freehand. Transfer shapes to greased or nonstick cookie sheets. Using
a few drops of food coloring at a time, color the egg yolk in each
cup, as desired. Using a small, clean paint brush, paint the chile
pepper red and its stem green. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until the
cookies begin to brown around the edges. Dust with red or green
sprinkles if desired. This recipes yields about 4 dozen three-inch
cookies.

Yields
48 servings