1 tablespoon prepared pesto
½ tablespoon cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ pound orzo pasta
½ (6.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes
½ jar marinated artichokes
2 tablespoons flour, plus more for work area
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons parmiggiano-reggiano, grated
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
Small pretzel sticks
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk the pesto and vinegar together in small bowl until well combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until fully mixed. Continue to whisk for an additional 1 to 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Let the dressing sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain in a colander.
- Remove from jars sun-dried tomatoes (cut into strips) and artichokes (cut into pieces).
- In a large bowl, knead cooked orzo, artichokes, tomatoes, flour, spinach, cheese, pesto dressing, and powdered sugar into cookie dough. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Dust work area with flour and roll out dough about ½ inch thick. Using a 2 to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 2 hearts per mask. Lay hearts on cookie sheet overlapping the pointed ends of each heart and press down slightly to shape the dough into one piece.
- Insert two small pretzel sticks along the plane of the mask but perpendicular to its length to form the antennae.
- Using a very small cookie cutter, or with the tip of a butter knife, cut out oval-shaped circles in center of each heart for the eyes.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool ten minutes. Then frost and decorate with assorted candies.
