Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pouch (17.5 ounces) sugar cookie mix, Betty Crocker®
3 tablespoons cake flour, Swans Down®
1⁄3 cup cream cheese, softened, Philadelpia®
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract, McCormick®
8 ounces hard candies (in assorted colors), Jolly Rancher® or Life Savers®
Directions
Line cookie sheet(s) with foil; spray with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine cookie mix and cake flour. Add cream cheese, egg, and lemon extract, stirring until dough forms. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a ball and flatten to make a disk.
On a lightly floured, surface, roll out one half of the dough until 1⁄4 inch thickness. Using large cookie cutters, cut out cookie shapes. Place cookie shapes on prepared cookie sheet(s), spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Using tiny cookie cutters, cut small shape(s) from center of each cookie on cookie sheet(s). Reroll dough scraps and cut out more cookies until all of the dough is used. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Place unwrapped hard candies, sorted by color, in separate zip-top plastic bags. Squeeze air from bags and seal; use a rolling pin to crush candies. Set aside.
Remove cookies from refrigerator; fill cut-out centers of the cookies with crushed hard candies.
Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or just until edges start to turn golden. Cool on cookie sheet(s) for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool completely.
NOTE: To store cookies, layer between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Cover; seal. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
