Olympic Cookies

I love love LOVE the Olympics!  I am so excited to be watching them for the next few weeks.  One of the things I on my bucket list has always been to see the Olympics live.  I tried very hard to get tickets to the London Olympics because that would have crossed two items off my bucket list in one go, but it didn't happen as all the tickets sold out, even via the lottery system.
Every two years, when the Olympics are on, I glue myself to the TV, watching way more than I should, to catch every second of Olympic Glory that I can.  And this year has been no different.
To kick of the Olympics, I was planning to watch the opening ceremonies with some friends.  I love the pageantry and history showcased in the opening ceremonies - this history/geography girl is in her element :)
I made these cookies to have as a treat during the opening ceremonies, and while my friends weren't able to make it, my husband and I sure have been enjoying them!

Olympic Cookies
Recipe adapted from LoveToBeInTheKitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons butter (softened)
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• M&Ms

Directions:
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add in the egg, milk and vanilla and mix well.  Slowly add in the baking powder, salt, and flour.  Mix until well combined and you have a big clump of dough.  Divide the dough in half, flatten into rectangles, and wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least two hours (or overnight).
Roll out dough on floured work surface. (I thought this dough was a bit beastly to roll out, because it was SO stiff!  I found it helped to let the dough warm up for a few minutes before trying to roll it out.  It also helped to work it in my hands some to make it more pliable.)  Roll to 1/4 in thick and then cut with a round cookie cutter.  Place cookies 1 inch apart on silicone baking mat on cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degree for 7-9 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are just slightly brown.  Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to cooling rack to finish cooling.
Once cookies are cooled completing, frost using a knife.   (Side note - I really LOVE this frosting!  It's the perfect combination and doesn't taste just like powdered sugar!) Place the M&Ms on the cookies (with the Ms facing down), to form the Olympic rings.  On the top row, place a blue, brown and red M&M and on the bottom a yellow and green.

Enjoy!  What's your favorite Olympic event?

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