Red Hot Cookies

Place the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
Slowly mix in salt and flour, being careful not to over mix. I usually stop when I still have some flour remnants around the bowl.
Break red hots into pieces using a rolling pin, rubber mallet or knife. Pour those pieces in the cookie dough and mix until combined.
Lightly flour a mat or surface and roll out the dough until its about ¼ inch thick. I like to have thicker cookies. Cut with cookie cutters, and re-roll dough as many times as needed until all the dough has been shaped. Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheets.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Chill cut out dough for about 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats. This will help the cookies from spreading.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Take a small spatula or knife to the edge of cookies if needed. Sometimes the red hots will spread out a bit from the heat. Allow to completely cool before frosting.
To make the frosting, blend the butter, milk and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix until completely smooth. You can add more or less powdered sugar to get your desired consistency. Add a few drops of red food coloring if wanting to make them pink. Sprinkle with extra red hots.