Rainbow Slices

1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

4 drops red food coloring

1/4 cup finely chopped red candied cherries

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces, melted

1/3 finely chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp. rum extract

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Line an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan with waxed paper or foil.  In a large bowl, beat together butter or margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add flour, baking powder and salt, beating until blender.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions.  To 1 portion, blend in red food coloring.  Then add candied cherries.  To another portion, add melted chocolate and walnuts.  To the remaining portion, blend in rum extract.  Then add coconut.

Press pink dough in an even layer in bottom of lined pan.  Cover evenly with chocolate dough.  Top evenly with white dough.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, several hours or overnight.

To bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Invert pan of chilled dough on a board; peel off waxed paper or foil.  Cut into 3 crosswise slices.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Remove cookies from baking sheets; cool on racks.

 Makes about 84 cookies

(Recipe for cookies was in “HP Books” Cookies by Natalie Hartanov Houghton; 1983)