Noel Wreaths

Buttery little wreaths with fruited centers

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes
Makes 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
¼ cup finely chopped raisins
¼ honey
Red and green candied cherries

1) Preheat the oven to moderate (350 degrees)
2) Beat the butter or margarine, sugar, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer at high speed. Stir in the flour to make a soft dough.
3) Measure out 1/3 cup of the dough and transfer it to a small bowl. Blend in the walnuts, raisins and honey, reserve.
4) Spoon the remaining dough into a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. Press out into 1 1/2 –inch rings on ungreased cookie sheets. Fill the center of each cookie with about a teaspoonful of the reserved nut mixture. Decorate the wreaths with slivers of the red and green candied cherries.
5) Bake in the preheated moderate oven (350 degrees) for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden at the edges. Remove from the cookie sheets to wire racks, cool completely. Store in tightly covered containers.