Ingredients
- 1 package (17.5 ounces) sugar cookie mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)
- 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened in microwave for 45 seconds
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 tablespoons cake flour
- 8 ounces hard candies, assorted colors (recommended: Jolly Ranchers or LifeSavers)
Special Equipment:
- Baking sheets
- Aluminum foil and cooking spray
- Mixing bowl
- Flour
- Rolling pin
- Oversized (4 to 5-inch) ornament-shaped cookie cutter
- Smaller cutters, round or square
- Cooling rack
Directions
Line baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Alternatively, you can use a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients, except hard candies, until dough ball forms. Split dough in half and form into disks.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out cookies with oversized (4 to 5-inch) ornament-shaped cookie cutters. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets spaced 1-inch apart. On each of the large cookies, cut out 3 or 4 smaller shapes using 1/2 to 1-inch cookie cutters. If cookies are to be used as ornaments, make a hole at the top with a straw. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
While cookies chill, place unwrapped hard candies, sorted by color, in separate zip-top resealable bags. Squeeze air from bags and seal; crush candies with rolling pin. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove cookies from refrigerator and fill centers of cookies with
crushed hard candies.
Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden. Cool completely on baking sheet on a rack.
Repeat with remaining dough.
Store completely cooled cookies separated by waxed paper in an air-tight container for 1 week.
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By model_of_iron_1...
Anytown, USA
on October 01, 2011
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This recipe is simple to make if you use the right cookie cutter shapes and the right candy for the holes. I find that Lifesavers are just the right size and eliminates the mess and extra work created by having to break other candies up (ie Jolly Ranchers and spoon them into the holes. You can add food coloring to the cookie dough to make the cookies more festive. No need to reserve this recipe for Christmas time. The cookies have an addictive flavor and texture - oh soooo good! Anyone who had a negative result either made a mistake with this simple recipe or doesn't know how to do perform simple baking. This recipe should be "idiot" proof.
By shellbell_11572116
Las Vegas, NV
on January 14, 2009
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I made this reciepe as one of my Christmas cookies. My first go at them was difficult but I followed the directions and they came out perfect. I made them the following year and found some tricks to help perfect them. The key is to keep the dough as cold as possible so the cookie will maintain the best shape. Also it's important not to over cook them. This year, to the disappointment of my family, I did not make them for Christmas. Everyone was so upset that after Christmas I bought special stained glass window cookie cutters and from now on these will be the only cookies I make at Christmas.
By nutmeg_13_20_11...
Orlando, FL
on December 23, 2008
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I read all of these reviews and i am sad to say that all of you who had trouble must be horrible cooks because simple changes to the recipe made wonderful results. The cookies I and my boyfriend made looked amazing and tasted very, very yummy. Just remember to only put the oven on at 350 rather then 375 and you will love the results. We used jolly ranchers and it was delicious. I hope that when someone is new to the site like myself and is just trying to find a lovely recipe to cook will not be discouraged by the horrible comments that people with bad judgment wrote, Once again all of the batches of cookies myself and my boyfriend made turned out wonderful. Thank you for this lovely recipe.
Read all 21 reviews