Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies

COOKIES
1 cup Blue Bonnet® Regular Stick margarine, (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

CHOCOLATE DIP
1 package (8 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup Blue Bonnet® Regular Stick, (5 1/3 tablespoons)
1 cup finely ground walnuts or pecans

Heat oven to 350F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with no-stick cooking spray or grease lightly.

In large bowl, beat Blue Bonnet with electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar; beat well. Add egg and egg yolk, beating after each addition. Add vanilla; beat well. Gradually add combined flour, baking powder and salt; beat until well blended.

Scrape dough into heavy-duty plastic food storage bag; seal tightly. Snip off one corner of bag to make a 1/2 inch diameter opening. Squeeze dough onto prepared cookie sheets using kitchen scissors to cut dough into 2-inch long strips and spacing strips 3 inches apart.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.

While cookies cool, prepare Chocolate Dip:
Place chocolate and Blue Bonnet in medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover loosely with waxed paper and microwave on HIGH, stirring every 20 seconds, until chocolate is smooth and fully melted.

Place nuts in shallow dish. Dip one end of cookie (about 1/2 the cookie) into chocolate and then immediately into the nuts to coat. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let cookies stand at room temperature until chocolate is set.

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies
Source: Blue Bonnet's Family Favorites Recipe Contest - 2nd Place, Sugar Cookie Contest