Stained Glass Window Cookies

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• About 1/2 to 3/4 cup hard fruit flavor candy, crushed (see note).

You will need cookie cutter shapes and several smaller cookie cutters in the same shapes to make "stained-glass windows." Biscuit cutters in graduated sizes work well for tree ornament shapes.

Cream shortening, butter, sugar and eggs. Stir in the last ingredients. Chill dough at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, put a single flavor of candy in a plastic sandwich or freezer bag and seal. Wrap this in a kitchen towel and gently break the candy into small pieces with a hammer. Pour the crushed candy, keeping the flavors separate, into small bowls.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll the cookie dough into 1/8-inch-thick sheets and cut simple shapes -- bells, ornaments, birds, snowmen, trees -- with cookie cutters.

Transfer the cookie shapes to foil-lined cookie baking sheets. Using the smaller cutters, cut out "holes" or smaller shapes within the center of the larger cookie shapes and remove that dough.

With a spoon, gently sprinkle crushed candy into the holes you've created inside the cookies; fill them up to the top of the space.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool. You will have to peel the cookies off the foil. Note: Jolly Ranchers and Lifesavers work well; cherry, lime or green apple, pineapple, lemon and orange flavors look and taste good. Peppermint and cinnamon don't do well.

Makes 4 to 4 1/2 dozen.

Source: Rosemary Kleske, Clearwater.