Recipe Ingredients:

Gingerbread:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger Pinch each salt and ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp fancy molasses
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Royal Icing:

• 1 egg white
• 1 3/4 cups icing sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Decorating:

• 3/4 cup M&M’S Holiday variety, divided
• Colored candy sprinkles

Directions:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes (+ 30 minutes standing time)

1. Gingerbread: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine flour, ginger, salt, cloves and cinnamon; set aside.
2. Using electric mixer, beat butter with sugar on high speed for about 1 minute or until well combined. Beat in egg. Add molasses and vanilla; beat until fully incorporated. Gradually stir in flour mixture to make smooth dough.
3. On lightly floured surface, pat dough into disc; roll out into 9- x7-inch rectangle. Trim sides to make perfect 8- x 6-inchrectangle. Cut into twelve 2-inch squares.
4. Arrange squares on parchment paper–lined baking sheet, about2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set and dry. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; transfer to rack. Let cool completely. Set aside 2 cookies (these will be the lids).
5. Royal Icing: Beat egg white until frothy. Gradually beat in icing sugar and vanilla until smooth and thickened. Transfer to piping bag fitted with small plain tip.
6. Pipe thin border of icing along edge of one cookie that will act as the base of the box. Place 4 cookies, standing upright with topside facing out, on each side of the base cookie. Pipe icing on outside seams where cookies meet. Hold cookies upright with hands for about 2 minutes or until icing is beginning to set. Repeat to make second treat box. Let stand for about 30minutes or until completely set.
7. Decorating: Meanwhile, use remaining icing to decorate reserved cookies with some of the M&M’S and candy sprinkles. Let stand until set. Fill treat boxes with remaining M&M’S; cap with decorative lids.

Tip: :

• If uncomfortable using raw eggs in a recipe, substitute pasteurized egg whites sold in a carton.
• Assembling the boxes sometimes requires a third hand, so this is a great recipe to make with a friend or one of the kids.
  
  

Nutrition Facts

Per 1/6 filled treat box (1/12 of recipe)

• Calories 240
• Fat 6g
• Saturated Fat 3.5g
• Cholesterol 25mg
• Sodium 45mg
• Carbohydrate 44g
• Fiber 1g
• Sugars 34g
• Protein 2g