Stained Glass Sugar Cookies

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, beating until well combined.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.

5. Roll out the cookie dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.

6. Using a smaller cookie cutter or knife, cut out a window in the center of each cookie where the 'stained glass' will go. Make sure not to cut all the way through the cookie.

7. Unwrap the hard candies and separate them by color. Place each color in a resealable plastic bag and crush them into small pieces using a rolling pin.

8. Fill the cut-out centers of the cookies with the crushed candy, mixing colors and creating patterns as desired.

9. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the candy has melted to resemble stained glass.

10. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the sheets to allow the candy to harden back into a glass-like texture.

11. Once the cookies have completely cooled, carefully peel them off the parchment paper and admire your beautiful Stained Glass Sugar Cookies!

12. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.