a recipe

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
2 teaspoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon anise seed, crushed (optional)
1 recipe Decorator Frosting (see recipe below) or 2 cans vanilla frosting
Red, blue, green, pink, and/or black paste food coloring
Small round candies (optional)

Directions
1. Grease and flour twenty-four 3-inch madeleine molds; set aside. Stir together flour and baking powder; set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg and egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add powdered sugar; beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed about 5 minutes more or until very thick and satiny. Beat in butter with an electric mixer on low speed. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until combined. Stir in orange peel, orange juice, and, if using, anise seed. Carefully spoon batter into the prepared molds, filling each three-fourths full.

3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until edges are golden and tops spring back. Cool in molds on rack 1 minute. Loosen cookies with a knife. Invert cookies onto a rack and cool completely.

4. Divide frosting, leaving about half of it white; color one-third with red and/or pink food coloring and remaining with green, black, and/or blue food coloring.

5. Makes 24 cookies.

Decorator Frosting: Beat 1 cup shortening and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar; beat well. Beat in 2 tablespoons milk. Gradually beat in 2-1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar and enough milk to make piping consistency.
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