Stained Glass Christmas Tree Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

These cookies were so fun to make with my 3-year-old. His job was smashing the Life Savers with a rolling pin and filling the “ornaments” with the crushed candy. To prevent waiting time, make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate overnight.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

Crushed fruit-flavored hard candies (such as Life Savers)

Instructions

Beat the butter and sugar at medium speed in a mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Shape the dough into a disc and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut dough, re-rolling as needed.

Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Use a 1/2-inch wide pastry tip to cut "ornaments" from trees. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes. Fill holes with crushed candy.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies, in batches, 12 minutes, until cookies are done and candy is melted. Let cool on pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.