Peppermint Pig Cookies

Sabrina finally had her Pigs & Polka Dots party. Almost all of her grandma's piggies she got to use for decorations were pink, but she doesn't like pink. So she wanted her colors to be purple and black. Looked like Halloween, but she liked the colors. I had grand ideas, but I scaled them down lots. Sabrina was talking about how some kids get huge parties with ice sculptures and ponies so hers didn't seem so expensive to her. It was very simple, but the kids played and laughed so hopefully they still had fun.

I ran from Sabrina's Mother's Day program at school straight to the party. I had taken a video of her program so it used up all my memory card and my batteries. I did recharge the batteries and then put the video on my computer so it freed up memory and I could take a few photos before the end of the party. I didn't take a pic of the other table that was decorated the same, but had just drinks and plates, cups and stuff and the ice cream. I took some photos of the kids playing all the games Sabrina organized and made up (mostly involving running and oinking), but none of all the other pigs she put on the stairs and in the living room and I didn't take any of the polka dot pinwheels that lined the walk up to the door . I had planned on taking photos of each child with the piggies, but didn't have enough battery for that.

All the food was polka dot food except the Peppermint Pig Cookies (recipe from TLC). We were going to have the guests decorate cupcakes to look like pigs, but Sabrina doesn't like cupcakes or frosting so she decided not to after all. Silly girl.

Sabrina helped me make the cookies. This is what the dough looked like before baking. We made them a little too thin. I think they started out looking like pigs, but after baking, could pass for cows. Either way, she loved them, so that's all that matters.

Peppermint Pig Cookies

1	package (18-oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/2	c. flour
3/4	t. peppermint extract
Red food coloring
Prepared white icing and mini candy-coated chocolate pieces

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Let dough stand at room temperature about 15 minutes.

Combine dough, flour, peppermint extract and food coloring in large bowl; beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended and evenly colored. Divide dough into 20 equal pieces. For each pig, shape one dough piece into one 1-inch ball, one 1/2-inch ball and two 1/4-inch balls. Flatten 1-inch ball to 1/4-inch-thick round; place on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten 1/2-inch ball to 1/4-inch-thick oval; place on top of dough round for snout. Shape two 1/4-inch balls into triangles; fold point over and place at top of round for ears. Make indentations in snout for nostrils with toothpick.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Use white icing and candy-coated chocolate pieces to make eyes.