Reindeer Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 0.3 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 large egg yolk 
• 1.3 cups flour all-purpose
• 32  gourmet jelly beans white halved
• 1 tablespoon juice of lemon 
• 32  m&m's minis 
• 1 teaspoon orange zest grated
• 32 small pretzels plain
• 1 pinch salt 
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 0.3 lb butter unsalted at room temperature
• 0.3 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make cookies: Sift flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat butter, sugar, zest and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in yolk.
3. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with lemon juice.
4. Form balls using 2 Tbsp. dough for each. Arrange 2 inches apart on sheet; flatten each to a 3-inch round.
5. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for 8 minutes, until edges are golden.
6. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes.
7. Cut each cookie into 4 wedges; cool completely.
8. Decorate cookies: Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
9. Spread each cookie with chocolate, add 2 pretzel horns, 2 jelly bean eyes and an M&M nose to each. Dot each eye with chocolate.
10. Let stand until chocolate is set, 10 minutes.