Touchdown Cookies

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a football-shaped cookie cutter and a small person-shaped (gingerbread) cookie cutter. Place cutouts 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and enough hot water to achieve spreading consistency; beat until smooth. Divide glaze into thirds. Leave a third white; set aside. Stir black food coloring into another third; set aside. Add cocoa to the last third; stir until smooth. Spread brown glaze over football cookies. Pipe white glaze for the football laces. Spread or pipe white glaze over people shapes to make shirts. Pipe black stripes over the white shirts for referee stripes.