Poinsettia Blossom Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 (3 ounce) package red Jell-O, dry
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
2 1/2 cups flour
red sugar crystals
36 miniature M&M's chocolate candies (yellow)
1/2 cup frosting, if using

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, dry Jell-O powder, eggs and extract. Add baking powder, salt, and food coloring. Add flour and mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 2 hours or until dough is firm. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and roll in red-colored sugar. Place balls about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, make cuts in top of each ball, not quite all the way through, to make 6 pie-shaped wedges. Spread wedges apart very slightly to form flower petals; cookies will separate and flatten as they bake. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. If using candies, immediately press one candy in center of each cookie. Let cookies cool on baking sheet a minute and then remove to wire rack to cool completely. If not using candies, pipe a dab of prepared cake frosting in center of each cookie when they are completely cooled.