Try this festive burst of peppermint

Placed on a red or green cookie platter with a holiday bow, these cookies burst with holiday color and flavor. And they really do melt in your mouth.

Peppermint Meltaways

60 Servings

Prep: 45 min. Bake: 10 minutes per batch plus cooling

1 cup sugar, divided

2 to 3 drops red food coloring

2 to 3 drops green food coloring

1⁄2 cup butter, softened

1⁄2 cup shortening

1⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

21⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

FROSTING:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons butter, softened

41⁄2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream

3⁄4 teaspoon almond extract

Red and green food coloring, optional

In a small bowl, combine 1⁄2 cup sugar and red food coloring; set aside. In another small bowl, combine remaining sugar with green food coloring; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Gradually add flour and mix well. Shape into 1⁄2-inch balls.

Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Coat bottom of two glasses with cooking spray, then dip one in red sugar and the other in green sugar. Flatten cookies alternately with prepared glasses, redipping in sugar as needed.

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, cream and extract. If desired, tint half of the frosting red and the other half green. Frost the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Yield: 5 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 83 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 6 mg cholesterol, 22 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.