Pot O' Gold Cookies

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and food color; beat well. Gradually stir in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Add chocolate; mix well.
• 2 Roll 1/3 of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut out with 2 1/2-inch pot of gold cookie cutter. Cut out center of cookie with 1-inch round cookie cutter. Cut out remaining dough into pot of gold shapes without cutting out center of cookie. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• 3 Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• 4 For the Icing, beat confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and meringue powder in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Add water, food color and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended. Beat on high speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• 5 To assemble each Pot ‘O Gold Cookie, you will need 2 cookies without cutouts and 1 cookie with a cutout. Place cookie without a cutout, flat side up on work surface. Pipe or spread icing around edge of cookie (leaving center empty). Top with a cookie with a cutout, pressing gently to “glue” cookies together. Fill cutout with a single layer of mini candy-coated chocolate pieces. Pipe top of cookie with additional icing. Top with a cookie without a cutout, pressing gently. Let stand until icing is set. Frost tops of assembled cookies. Pipe remaining icing on the top where the opening of the pot would be. Press additional candies into icing. Pipe a handle onto each cookie, if desired.