In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla until well blended. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; add to butter mix, mixing until well blended. Refrigerate dough 1-2 hours or until firm enough to handle. Heat oven to 350~. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Shape dough into 1" balls. Place on cookie sheets. Press thumb gently in center of each cookies. (You may need to coat finger with sugar for indentation to remain). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets to wire rack. Cool completely. Spoon about 1/4 tsp orange filling in each thumbprint. Decorate with green filling to look like stem of a pumpkin.

Orange And Green Filling: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, softened butter, milk and vanilla. Beat on high until smooth. Remove scant 2 Tb of filling. Tint this with green food color; set aside. Add freshly grated orange peel to remaining icing and use red and yellow food coloring to make orange.

Ghost Cookies: Make icing and omit food coloring and orange peel. Decorate cookies to look like ghosts.

Entered for you by: Bill Webster