Wolfman Cookie Pops

Cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded coconut, chopped and toasted

Decorations:
1 (14 ounce) package light cocoa chocolate disks
    or chocolate candy wafers
Candy corn
Yellow candy disks
3 cups shredded coconut
Brown icing color
Small black candy-coated chocolate dot candies
8 (8-inch) cookie treat sticks

To make cookies: Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar in mixer bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

Mix baking powder and flour; add to butter mixture one cup at time, mixing after each addition. If dough is too soft, add up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time. Stir in 1 cup coconut. Do not chill dough.

Divide dough into two balls. On floured surface, roll each into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Cut out cookies with 4-inch diameter floured cutters. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on middle rack of oven 6 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before decorating.

To decorate 8 Wolfman Cookie Pops: Cut enough chocolate candy disks into triangles for 16 ears; reserve remaining disks. Cut candy corn just above orange area for teeth. Cut yellow candy disks for eyes.

In large bowl, tint coconut with brown icing color. In small bowl melt remaining chocolate candy disks (over hot water or in microwave).

Working with one cookie at a time, spread a fine layer of melted chocolate candy over cookie, just enough to hold coconut. Press coconut over cookie, leaving mouth area uncovered; let set. Use dabs of melted chocolate candy to attach to cookie faces the candy ears, teeth, eyes and black dot candies for eye pupils and noses; hold ears until set. Attach cookie treat stick to cookie back, also with melted candy; hold until set. Allow all decorations to set firmly before arranging as desired in container or on plates.

Makes 8 decorated cookies.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wilton Enterprises