Chocolate Holiday Bears recipe

20 servings, 1 cookie each

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate decorations, such as
    assorted small candies, raisins, sprinkles, colored sugars or JET PUFFED
    Mini Marshmallows

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter, sugar, dry pudding mix and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

COMBINE remaining dry ingredients. Gradually add to pudding mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Form into ball. (Refrigerate for up to 1 hour if dough is too soft to roll out.)

ROLL out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch-thickness. Cut out dough using 4-inch "bear" cookie cutter or other 4-inch holiday cookie cutter; place on greased baking sheets. Reroll scraps and use to cut additional cookies as needed.

DECORATE cutouts with small candies, raisins or sprinkles for eyes, mouth and buttons, pressing in lightly.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until slightly firm. Remove from baking sheets. Cool on wire racks.

MELT chocolate in microwavable bowl on MEDIUM for 2 minutes. Spread on bottom half of bears for pants or skirts; use as "glue" to attach more decorations.

Size-Wise:
Enjoy one serving of these festive cookies with a glass of fat-free milk.

Fun Idea:
These cookies make great place cards at any holiday gathering. Using frosting and candies, decorate the cookies with the names of the people attending. After decorations have set, place cookies at the appropriate places around the table.

Nutritional Information: Calories 200 Total fat 9 g Saturated fat 5 g Cholesterol 25 mg Sodium 200 mg Carbohydrate 28 g Dietary fiber 1 g Sugars 17 g Protein 2 g

Vitamin A 4 %DV Vitamin C 0 %DV Calcium 0 %DV Iron 6 %DV

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Kraft Foods.