Witches’ Brooms Cookies

I’m trying very hard to get into the “fall” spirit. I desperately want some cooler days and I want the leaves to change.  So…to give mother nature the hint, I did some fall baking yesterday. I found these cute witches broom cookies in the Betty Crocker fall baking recipe book from last year.

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 pretzel rods, cut in half
2 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
2 teaspoons shortening

1.  Heat oven to 350.  In bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla until blended.  Stir in flour and salt.  Shape dough into 20 balls.

2. Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheets.  Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod.  Press dough with fork to resemble bristles of broom.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown.  remove to cooling racks; cool completely.

3. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper.  Place brooms on waxed paper.  In bowl, melt 2 teaspoons shorteneing and chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.  Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered.

4. In bowl, microwave butterscotch chip and 2 teaspoons shortening, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Drizzle over chocolate.  Let stand until chocolate is firm before storing.  The original recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon shortening but I found that this amount did not make the chips liquid enough to drizzle.  I increased it to 2 teaspoons.

Make sure to eat one before the vultures in your house get to them.  I almost didn’t have time to take the picture because they went so fast.