Blackboad Cookies

The writing is on the wall: school is cool! And so is the parent who sends words to the wise (or just friendly messages) on these fun Blackboard Cookies. They're perfect for lunches and after-school treats -- or in case a little bribery is needed to get that homework assignment done.

Easy to prepare, kids enjoy making these cookies as much as they appreciate eating them. Ohio tester Lynda Hannan said her children, Jack, 5, and Katie, 2 1/2, liked the mixing best. New Jersey mom Marianne Reis said her son Ben, 7, was old enough to help in all aspects of making these cookies, including reading the recipe. He felt he was particularly adept at shaping, rolling, and slicing "since it was just like working with Play-Doh."

Bonus for parents: You can use the time you spend together baking the cookies as an excuse to get the kids talking about school. Ask open-ended questions, like "What kinds of things are on the blackboard at school?" or "What message would you give to your friends?" Bet their answers aren't "nothing."

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tbsp. milk
• A fine-tipped tube of white icing

What To Do:

1. Cream powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla, and egg. Stir in flour until combined.



2. Divide dough into two equal parts. Add cocoa and milk to one half of the dough; stir until combined.



3. Shape the chocolate half of the dough into a 12" square log. Roll vanilla dough into a 12" x 8" rectangle using a rolling pin.



4. Wrap vanilla dough around chocolate log, slightly pressing dough to seal the two.



5. Wrap with wax paper and refrigerate until dough is firm and can easily be cut into 1/4-inch pieces using a butter knife.



6. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough to 1/4" thickness. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 9-10 minutes.



7. When cookies have cooled, use the tube of icing to write messages, numbers, letters, or anything else on them.

Some parents of kids with steady hands had the children write on the cookies. Lori Thole said she and her 5-year-old son used the cookies to practice the alphabet and the names of his new teachers. Similarly, Nathan Price, age 5, practiced writing his name.

Mom Marianne Reis said her son Ben took this opportunity to become familiar with ingredients he hadn't used before. After tasting the powdered sugar, he tried a bit of cocoa powder. "He put a small bit in his mouth and made the sourest face I've seen on him in a long time," she recalled.

TAKE IT FROM ME:
These blackboard cookies don't need to be perfect squares. Peggy LaClair and her daughters, Christine, 5, and Rachel, 10, said theirs turned into rectangles as they sliced. Of course, the cookies are tasty in any shape, but to keep the log's shape, turn it after each slice and cut from the opposite side.

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