Chocolate Shortbread Footballs

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa, sifted
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon egg white or powdered egg white mixed according to package instructions*

1. Cream together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes.
2. Add the cocoa and flour and mix together well until it combines.
3. Allow to rest for 1 hour, covered in plastic.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. With a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and with a cookie cutter shaped like a football, cut the dough into footballs.
6. Place on parchment paper on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Turn the sheet and bake another 5 minutes.
8. Allow to cool.
9. Mix together the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons of confectioners' sugar until well blended.
10. Spread a little of this mixture on 1 football and top with a second football to make a sandwich.
11. Continue spreading the mixture until all cookies are used.
12. To make the royal icing, combine the 1 cup of confectioners' sugar with the egg white.
13. Mix until the consistency is very smooth.
14. Pour icing into a piping bag fitted with a round #1 tip.
15. Pipe a football lace design on the cookies.
16. Let dry.
17. *RAW EGG WARNING
18. Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness.
19. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

unsalted butter, granulated sugar, flour, cocoa, mascarpone, sugar, sugar, egg white

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chocolate-shortbread-footballs-recipe.html (may not work)