Poinsettia Blossom Cookies

• 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

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 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.

butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, red food coloring, flour, red sugar crystals, chocolate, frosting

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/poinsettia-blossom-cookies-344533 (may not work)