Sandra Lee's Sugar Cookies

I am a huge fan of Sandra Lee, as is my 3 year old, and the two of us discovered this fabulous sugar cookie recipe while watching her show together one morning. I'm in the process of tripling this recipe and making heart-shaped cookies with red and pink M&M's for the Valentine parties we have coming up this week. I got a little antsy and just had to post this recipe before I could snap a picture of the finished product, but these butterfly cookies that Sandra Lee made on her show were absolutely darling and would be perfect for Easter or any other spring party!Semi-Homemade Sugar Cookies:
Ingredients:

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 (17-ounce) bag sugar cookie mix
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 1 (12-ounce) bag mini M&M's

Method:

• Heat cream cheese in a large microwave safe bowl for 1 minute on 80 percent power in microwave to soften. Add sugar cookie mix, 1/4 cup flour, egg and extract. Stir with wooden spoon until dough is well combined and forms a ball.
• Sprinkle a flat rolling surface with 1 tablespoon flour. Divide dough in half and roll out onto lightly floured surface using a rolling pin. Roll the rolling pin back and forth, turning the dough as needed so it does not stick. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Take cookie cutter and dip cutting edge into a shallow bowl of flour. Then press cookie cutter into rolled out dough. Begin cutting out shapes at the center of the dough and work your way towards the edge, cutting shapes as close together as possible. Once the entire slab of dough is cut, use a small spatula to remove cookies from rolling surface and place on un-greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Decorate each cookie by pressing mini candies into dough. Refrigerate cookies for 15 minutes to prevent spreading while baking.
• Using oven mitts, place cookies in oven on top rack. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven using mitts and let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before moving them to cooling rack.