Recipe of the Month: December 2010

December's Recipe of the Month
Recipe from: Bright Ideas , M&M's Website
Name of Recipe: Tasty Table Lights

Details
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• Prep Time: 10 min.
• Bake Time: 45 min.
• Difficulty:
  Moderate
• Yield: Makes 24 cookies.

Ingredients
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• 2/3 cup flour


• 1 18 oz. roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough


• 1½ cups prepared vanilla frosting


• 3 cups M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies


• 4 strands red licorice laces


• Resealable plastic bags


• Drinking straw


• Christmas light shaped cookie cutter (small)

Directions
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• 
  1.
  Preheat oven to 350°F.
  



• 
  2.
  Knead the flour into the cookie dough until smooth.
  



• 
  3.
  Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. By hand, or using a Christmas light cookie cutter, cut out shapes.
  



• 
  4.
  With a spatula, gently transfer the cookies to a baking sheet. Using a drinking straw, press a hole at the top of each cookie.
  



• 
  5.
  Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
  



• 
  6.
  Separate different colors of M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies, and set aside.
  



• 
  7.
  Spread vanilla frosting on top of each cookie. Arrange a solid color of M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies on top of each cookie.
  



• 
  8.
  Let the cookies dry for 30 minutes. Run licorice laces through each hole, connecting the cookies into one continuous strand.
  



• 
  9.
  Tip for a quicker and lighter version: Tint frosting to match the M&M'S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies. Frost the cookies and then decorate with color coodinated M&M'S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies.