Holly Clusters

• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar firmly packed
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 each eggs
• 1 3/4 cups flour, all-purpose
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• 3 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• 4 ounces marzipan
• 1 x food coloring green
• 1 small cinnamon candies, red

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C) (190oC).
2. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
3. Combine brown sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla in large Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
4. Beat egg into creamed mixture.
5. Combine flour, salt and baking soda.
6. Mix into creamed mixture just until blended.
7. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
8. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls (15 mL) of dough 3 5.
9. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375F (190C) (190oC) for 8 to 10 cookies.
10. DO NOT OVER BAKE.
11. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.
12. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.
13. For decoration, mix icing sugar with water to form thick paste.
14. Add green food colouring to marzipan until desired colour.
15. Roll marzipan 1/16-inch (2 mm).
16. Cut into holly leaf shapes using a sharp knife or small cutter.
17. Place leaves on cooled cookies with paste.
18. Add small red candies for holly berries.
19. Allow to set completely before storing cookies.
20. 3 dozen cookies.
21. If nuts are omitted, add an additional 1/2 cup (125 mL) semi- sweet chocolate chips.

brown sugar, vegetable shortening, milk, vanilla, eggs, flour, salt, baking soda, chocolate chips semisweet, pecans, powdered sugar, water, marzipan, food coloring green, cinnamon

Taken from recipeland.com/recipe/v/holly-clusters-32498 (may not work)