Cookies and the Constitution?

These past couple of weeks, Emily's social studies class has been studying the Constitution. Her teacher explained that, like a recipe for cookies, all of the essential ingredients need to be present in order for the cookies to come out right, for the recipe to work. The Constitution also needs certain essentials in order for it to work.

Her teacher, Mr. Fox, broke the class into 8 groups for the unit. For one of their projects, each group was to bring in a batch of homemade cookies to share with the rest of the class. They got points for taste, look, and creativity. Emily volunteered to be the cookie maker for her group. She asked my mom (Mimi) to come over and help her make them. (My mom blogged about it here.) Em said they got the highest points in the class for her hot dog cookies.







Hot Dog Cookies

1 recipe Butter Cookie Dough (see below)
liquid food colors
red and yellow frosting
green coarse granulated sugar

1. Prepare dough. Use 1/3 of dough to make "hot dogs." Refrigerate remaining 2/3 dough. Mix food colors in small bowl to get reddish-brown color following chart on back of food color box. Add reserved 1/3 dough. Mix color throughout dough using wooden spoon. Refrigerate 4 hours.
2. Divide colored dough into 18 equal sections. Roll each section into thin long shape. Round edges. Set aside.
3. To make "buns" divide remaining dough into 18 equal sections. Roll sections into thick logs. Make a very deep indentation the length of log in centers; smooth edges to create buns. Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Place hot dogs inside buns.
4. Freeze 20 minutes. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 15-17 minutes or until bun edges are light golden brown. Cool completely on cookie sheets.
5. Top hot dogs with piped red and yellow frosting to look like ketchup and mustard. Sprinkle with green sugar.

Makes 18 cookies.

Butter Cookie Dough
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine butter, both sugars and egg yolk in medium bowl. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Cover; refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm.