Witches Brooms ~ Foodie Friday Mysterious Ingredient Club

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This is my second entry for Foodie Friday's second Mysterious Ingredient Club sponsored by Rattlebridge Farm.

Michael Lee West, owner of Rattlebridge Farm generously supplied each participant with these spooky Halloween sprinkles by Wilton to do with as we might ~

I decided upon these 'Witches Brooms' cookies as my additional entry this week.

If you would like to make them you'll need:
Pretzel Rods, cut to about 4-1/2 inches Cookie dough (I made Maple sugar cookie dough) Peanut butter cookie dough, or any other smooth dough would work. Probably you could use store bought, too. Chocolate Morsels Butterscotch or Peanut Butter Morsels A little solid shortening

To assemble: Form the dough into approximately 1-1/2-inch balls. Press each ball into the cut end of the pretzel rod. Flatten slightly, then press fork tines into dough, to represent broom straws. Bake according to cookie recipe directions. Remove cookies from pan and place on a rack to cool.
When completely cool, melt chocolate chips with shortening (2/3 cup chocolate chip to 2 teaspoons shortening is enough for 20 cookies*) Spoon chocolate over lower part of broom handle and top part of broom bristles, leaving bottom of bristles uncovered. Allow to cool and firm up.

Melt butterscotch chips with shortening. (1/3 cup butterscotch chips to 1/2 teaspoon shortening*) Drizzle over chocolate. Allow to stand until firm before storing in airtight container.
*You may need to add a little more melted shortening to make the melted chocolate and butterscotch chips the right consistency for drizzling.
EDIT: Back to post the cookie recipe for those who want it ~
Makes 20 cookies (I must have made my broom parts too large because the recipe only produced 14 when I made them.)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 Tablespoons water 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 10 pretzel rods (about 8-1/2" long), cut in half cross-wise (I noticed the pretzel rods I bought were only about 7-inches long, you want the cut rods for the broom handle to be between 4 and 4-1/2 inches long.)
Heat oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into 20 (1-1/4" balls).
Then just proceed with the directions above.
Happy baking!!

Please come on over to our host Michael Lee West's blog Rattlebridge Farm see what's going on for this Foodie Friday!

Thank you for stopping by friends!
Blessings, ~ mari