I used large chocolate pearls and small pearls (cake decorating), but skittles or any small round candies will work for the nose and little feet. And a Spring flower "sprinkle" near the hat. I used a strawberry-filled Hershey's Kiss for the hat, but you could use any color Hershey's Kiss that you have. I didn't have quite a full tube of decorator icing, so was stretching it towards the end, so recommend using a full tube (and the flower or round squiggle tip).
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GNOME SUGAR COOKIE BALLS
5 TB unsalted butter, room temp.....................1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk ..........................................................1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour....................................................... 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt......................................................... colored sugar
1 large pearl for each Gnome (10-12) ............. 2 small pearls for each Gnome (20-24)
10-12 Hershey Kisses
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Preheat oven to 350. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick baking spray and set aside. Put your colored sugar(s) in little bowl(s) and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar in electric mixer bowl until smooth. Then beat in the egg yolk, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give another quick beat ~ gradually add the flour. When the flour is mostly incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl again and beat on medium until the cookie dough comes away from the sides of the bowl towards the paddle (see photo).
I used my small cookie scoop (which is about a heaping TB) but would use 3/4-full next time. Roll into balls with your hand ~ then roll the balls in the colored sugar(s) and put into the sprayed min-muffin tin. (You'll have 10-12, depending how big the balls are.)
Bake about 11-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before inverting onto a rack or paper to cool completely. If your cookie balls "overflowed" the top like mine did, you can trim the edges (after cooled) with a kitchen scissors.
With wider side (top) down, put a big flower or mound of frosting on top, and then just flow it down the front (can spread a little with a knife, if you want). Stick the Hershey's Kiss down firmly on top (and I put a flower sprinkle next to it). A big pearl gets stuck on for the nose ~ and 2 smaller pearls for the feet.
Let the frosting harden (store-bought decorator icing will harden faster than homemade. It should be hard in several hours, or overnight ~ depends on the humidity where you are)