This is one of those family traditions that you continue just because, well, it’s a family tradition. My sister and I loved making these cookies as kids, even though they look a lot better than they taste. I can still see my mom’s recipe, stained and torn over the years, that she’d sent away for with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. This was before the invention of the silicone baking mat, and the cookies stuck so mercilessly that each bite contained a bit of waxed paper that inevitably became a chewy wad in your mouth. Now, with the internet and Silpats, I reprint the recipe every year and the cookies don’t stick, but they still look way better than they taste, and so, the tradition lives on. I’ve adapted the recipe here.

Stained Glass Cookies  

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
30-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers), preferably in several flavors/colors

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with a Silpat.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add corn syrup and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.
3. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.
4. Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color.

5. Put candies into plastic bags. Use a mallet to crush candies.

6. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness on floured board. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes.

7. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.
8. Sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.

9. If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

10. Bake 9 to 10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.