I would like to give credit to Joanne Fluke's book==Cream Puff Murder, which has so many lovely recipes in it that are truly unique!!
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Cheeseburger Mini-Cookies=Men and kids love these. Ladies think they are adorable!! Good also for tea parties.
For the buns===12 ounce box vanilla wafers (I use Nilla Wafers) second box to make sure enough are not crumbled.
For the hamburger patties=about 3 dozen slightly larger round chocolate-covered cookies (I used 2 packages of Keebler's Fudge Shop Grasshoppers Cookies==18 cookies to the box.
For the shredded lettuce
1 half cup shredded coconut (pack it down tightly
before measuring it ) green food coloring (I make a lot more, it keeps nicely in a giant ZipLoc baggie.
++For the cheese and the ketchup
++1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick) at room temp
++1/4 cup milk (2 ounces)
++1 teaspoon vanilla extract
++16 ounces (1 pound) box powdered sugar (this is about
++3 1/2 cups)
Yellow AND Red food coloring
(Note..all with the ++ A very good substitute can be 2 cans of plain white frosting colored Red and White. Takes a little longer to set firm but saves work.
For the top of the bun
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 egg white---or rub honey on top.
Prepare your :"shredded lettuce" first. It will take time to air dry. Dump your coconut into a large Ziploc bag. Hold the bag open and drop in 3 drops of green food coloring. Close it tightly and shake, shake and shake it till the color is evenly distributed. Then if it is not quite the color of lettuce, add more green food coloring a few drops at a time until you decide it is the color of lettuce.
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and dump the coconut onto it. Spread it out with a spoon as evenly as possible. Let it sit out on the counter (or on top of the fridge if you have nosey cats) till dry, stirring it ever so often.
Once the coconut is dry, it is time to assemble your cookies.
Line another cookie sheet with wax paper. Lay out 40 vanilla wafers, rounded side up.
Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or simply in a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the milk,butter, vanilla extract and powdered sugar, If you're using a stand mixer, beat on LOW for 2 minutes. If you're using a handheld mixer, beat on LOW for 3 minutes. If you're mixing by hand, use a wooden spoon and beat like crazy for 4 minutes, or until the frosting is smooth, with no lumps. (This is the best one, but easier and quicker is using commercial cans of frosting.)
Divide the frosting into 2 bowls.
Into the one put 3 drops of yellow food coloring. Mix this well, and if it is not a bright yellow, add more food coloring. This will be your "melting cheese" on the cheeseburgers.
In the other bowl add the red food coloring until it is the color of "Ketchup".
With a rubber spatula put a layer of RED frosting on each rounded side of the wafers. Pile it up around the rims of the wafers so it will form the flat beds for the "hamburgers."
Place a chocolate-covered cookie, face up, on top of the red frosting on the wafer. Press the chocolate-covered cookie down slightly so it'll stick to the red frosting and let some run out so it can be seen.
Frost the top of the chocolate-covered cookie with the YELLOW frosting. Use just a bit too much so it'll drip over the sides of the "hamburger" like melted cheese. (++Here I just frost the underside of the top cookie and mash it down on the "green lettuce, works easier that way for me++)
Sprinkle on some of the green coconut "lettuce." It'll look more realistic if you let a few strands stick out on the sides.
Clamp on the second vanilla wafer, rounded side up. Now your Mini Cheeseburger Cookie is complete, except for the sesame seeds on the bun.
Repeat until you run out of "buns" or "hamburgers."
Whip up the egg white in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the vanilla wafers. Sprinkle on a few sesame seeds, and you're finished. Or use a little bit of honey if anyone is allergic to eggs.
Let the cookies dry thoroughly. Once dry, they will keep just fine in a loosely covered container until it's time to serve them.
(I have no idea of how they will freeze, but my guess is that they will do that quite well. I never have any left to try. )