Christmas Gum Drop Cookies

It's only 5 weeks until Christmas.  I have over 20 people to bake for, so here it goes.... This recipe is supposed to make 3 dozen cookies.  Since I bought large gum drops,  it only made 20.  (I ended up doubling the recipe.  The recipe below reflects a single recipe)  My husband took one look at these and said "oh, these look good."  Need I say more?



3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (I used 1 teaspoon dried orange zest)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1  1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Gum drops

• Beat oil and sugar until well blended
• Add egg, orange zest and vanilla.  Beat until smooth
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt
• Add dry ingredients into sugar mixture and stir until a soft dough forms
• Cover and chill for 1 hour
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Lightly spray hands and baking sheet with cooking spray
• Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (for smaller cookies) and 2 inch balls (for larger cookies) and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet
• Press a gum drop into the center of each cookie
• Bake 7+ minutes, or until bottoms become lightly browned (larger cookies take a significant longer time to cook)
• Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack

-Queenie Cuisine