M&M Sugar Cookie Flowers

With Spring in full swing and Easter coming up this weekend I will be focusing on that lovely holiday this week. I love the colors of this time of year, and we all know how much I love sugar cookies!!! Oh, and M&M's are about the only candy that I like, so these little flowers seemed so perfect. I think they will look amazing amongst the Easter treats this Sunday.

• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 roll (18 oz.) refrigerated cookie dough (I of course will use my wonderful home made sugar cookie dough!)
• 1 box confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons egg white powder
• 6 1/2 tablespoons water
• Yellow, orange and pink food coloring
• 1/3 cup M&M’S® Brand Chocolate Candies
• 6 pieces STARBURST® Fruit Chews
• 6 pieces DOVE® Brand Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate
• 2 cookie sheet pans
• 6 resealable plastic bags
• 3 clear gift containers
• Ribbon
• Flower cookie cutter

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.
• 2. Knead the flour and the grated lemon zest into the cookie dough. Roll it out to a 1/4-inch thickness and using the cookie cutter, cut out 20 cookies, re-rolling the scraps.
• 3. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven, transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.
• 4. Meanwhile, beat the confectioner’s sugar, egg white powder and water until fluffy. Divide the frosting into 3 small bowls. Tint one yellow, one orange and one pink. Frost 6 cookies of each color. Decorate the centers with assorted M&M’S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies, STARBURST® Fruit Chews or DOVE® Brand Silky Smooth Milk Chocolates. Set the cookies aside for the frosting to dry.
• 5. Arrange 6 cookies in each clear plastic container and tie with a ribbon.
• 6. Cheer someone up and give them out to friends, neighbors or family members.

picture and idea taken from bright ideas.com