Rocking Horse Cookies - butter

Method

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. rocking-horse-shaped cookie cutter. Place on greased
• , flipping half of cutouts so they face in the opposite direction (2 cutouts will form each rocking horse).
• Bake until set, 7-9 minutes. Cool 2-3 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• Flip cutouts so their flat sides are up. Melt chips; stir until smooth. Spread the top of a graham cracker cookie with some chocolate; attach to body area of cutout. Repeat with remaining cutouts. Let stand until set. Set aside remaining chocolate.
• For icing, in a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and water on low speed just until combined. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Tint as desired with food coloring. Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth.
• Flip cutouts right-side up; decorate as desired with icing. Let stand at room temperature for several hours or until icing is firm.
• To assemble horses, reheat chips until melted. Place a caramel candy on a work surface in front of you; brush the long sides with chocolate. Pair up two cutouts so they align, forming a rocking horse.
• Brush graham cracker cookies with chocolate; press the cutouts together, forming a rocking horse. (Rocking horse halves are attached in the center by the graham cracker cookies, which join the body, and the caramel candy, which supports the rocker.)
• Gently place rocking horse on its side; let stand at room temperature for several hours or until firm. Repeat for remaining rocking horses. If desired, with ribbon, tie bows around rocking horses' necks.