Holiday Surprise Sugar Cookies

Holiday Surprise Sugar Cookies
by: Betty Crocker

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 min
Total Time: 1 hour 45 min
Makes: 4 dozen cookies

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
Red and green food colors
16 thin rectangular crème de menthe candies, cut into thirds
Assorted Betty Crocker® colored sprinkles, sugars, decors and decorating gels

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg and flour until dough forms. Divide dough into thirds. Tint one-third red and one-third green with food colors; leave one-third plain. Keep dough covered tightly until ready to use.
2. On floured surface, roll each third of dough until 1/8 inch thick. For round cookies, cut with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter; for square cookies, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares using sharp knife. (Dip cutter or knife in flour for easier cutting.)
3. On ungreased cookie sheet, place half the cookies 1 inch apart. Place 1 candy piece on center of each cookie; top with another cookie. Gently press edges together to seal, using tines of fork. To decorate before baking, sprinkle cookies with colored sprinkles, sugars or decors as desired.
4. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Decorate with gels as desired.

Variation
Instead of the crème de menthe candies, use one of the following in each cookie:
Piece of a milk chocolate candy bar (1.55 ounces), separated into small rectangles, each cut into thirds (larger baking or candy bars will be too thick)
Small round chocolate-covered creamy mint
1/4 teaspoon toffee bits.

Special Touch
Surprise someone special with a box of these holiday cookies.

Nutrition Information:
1 Cookie: Calories 70 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 35mg; Total Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 6g); Protein 0g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 0% Exchanges: 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.