Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 8 to 10 tablespoons hot water
  • Black paste food coloring
  • 6 to 8 teaspoons baking cocoa

Method

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a football-shaped and a small gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased
  • Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
  • In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and enough hot water to achieve spreading consistency; beat until smooth. Divide glaze into thirds. Stir black food coloring into a third of the glaze; set aside. Add cocoa to another third; stir until smooth. Spread brown glaze over football cookies. Pipe white glaze for the football laces. Spread or pipe remaining white glaze over gingerbread men cookies to make shirts. Pipe black stripes over the white shirts to resemble referee stripes.