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Christmas Cookie Train

Get the entire family involved with a delightfully edible activity that's been Test Kitchen approved! The cookies and frosting are easy to work with, letting your gang focus on having fun!

6 ServingsPrep: 30 min. Bake: 10 min. + cooling

Ingredients

1/2 tube refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Green, red, yellow and brown paste food coloring
Assorted decorations: Peppermint candies, M&M's, mini vanilla wafers, animal crackers and red shoestring licorice

Directions

In a small bowl, beat cookie dough and flour until combined. On a
lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. With a
sharp knife, cut out six 4-in. x 3-in. rectangles; save scraps.
Place rectangles 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Reroll dough
scraps; cut out a 2-in. x 1-1/2-in. rectangle for engine cab, a
1-1/4-in. x 1/2-in. rectangle for smokestack and a 1-1/2-in.
triangle for cowcatcher. Attach to one rectangle; gently press seams
to seal.
Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Remove to wire racks to cool.
For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar,
milk and vanilla until creamy. Set aside 1 cup. Tint 3 tablespoons
frosting green, 3 tablespoons red and 1 tablespoon yellow. Tint the

2 of 2

Christmas Cookie Train (continued)

Directions (continued)

remaining frosting brown.
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the white frosting. Spread remaining white
frosting over cookies, leaving a 2-1/2-in. x 1-1/2-in. rectangles in
centers of three passenger cars and 2-1/2-in. x 2-in. rectangles in
the centers of the two animal cars. Frost the engine.
On a 35-in. x 8-in. covered board, attach train cars and peppermint
candy wheels with a small amount of reserved frosting.
With M&M's and frosting, add a headlight above cowcatcher and
couplings between the cars. Add M&M's for smoke coming out of
smokestack. Use vanilla wafers for passenger faces and decorate with
colored frosting. Add animal crackers and licorice bars to the
animal cars. With remaining frosting, decorate train as desired.
Yield: 6 cookies.