These cookies, with their festively colorful candy 'windows', are as much fun to make as they are to eat!

Holiday Stained Glass Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Crushed colored hard candies (about 1/3 cup)
Frosting (optional)
Candy (optional)

1. Separate colors of hard candy. Put each color candy into a freezer bag and crush with a wooden mallet. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, sift togther flour and baking powder. Gradually stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until dough is very stiff. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill about 3 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Additional flour can be added if necessary. Cut out cookies using large holiday cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a foil-lined baking sheet. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out and remove dough from the center of each cookie. Fill cut out sections with crushed candy. If using cookies as a hanging ornament, make a small hole at the top. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and candy is melted. Slide foil off baking sheet. When cool, carefully loosen cookies from foil. If desired, decorate further with frosting and candy.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen medium cookies.

Recipe provided courtesy of The Sugar Association, Inc.