Halloween Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine; softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
orange and green filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine; softened
4 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
 
 In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, milk and 
vanilla until well blended. Stir together flour,cocoa 
and salt; add to butter mix, mixing until well blended. 
Refrigerate dough 1-2 hours or until firm enough to handle. 
Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Shape dough 
into 1" balls. Place on cookie sheets. Press thumb gently 
in center of each cookies. (You may need to coat finger with 
sugar for indentation to remain). Bake for 10-12 minutes 
or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets to 
wire rack. Cool completely.
 Spoon about 1/4 tsp orange filling in each thumbprint. 
Decorate with green filling to look like stem of a pumpkin. 
 ORANGE AND GREEN FILLING: In a small bowl, combine powdered 
sugar, softened butter, milk and vanilla.Beat on high until 
smooth. Remove scant 2 TB of filling. Tint this with green 
food color; set aside.
 Add freshly grated orange peel to remaining icing and 
use red and yellow food coloring to make orange. 
 GHOST COOKIES: Make icing and omit food coloring and 
orange peel. Decorate cookies to look like ghosts.
 
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