MAKES 12 TREES AND 12 ROUND COOKIES • PREP & CHILL: 1 HR
BAKE: 8 TO 10 MIN PER BATCH
10 Tbsp plus 2 tsp (
cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 rolls (1.14 oz each) regular five-flavors-a-roll Life Savers candies, each color crushed separately
You also need: 6¼- and 3¼-in. Christmas tree cookie cutters and 3- and 1½-in. round cookie cutters
1 Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended.
2 On low speed, gradually beat in flour until just blended. Divide dough in half, shape each into a 1-in.-thick disk and wrap separately. Refrigerate 30 minutes or up to four days (warm slightly before using).
3 Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet(s) with foil; coat with cooking spray. Have cookie cutters ready.
4 On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll out 1 disk dough (keep other refrigerated) to ¼ in. thick. Use large cutter to cut out trees. Place 2 in. apart on lined baking sheet(s). Use small tree cutter to cut a “window” in center of each. Repeat with round cutters. Reroll and cut scraps once.
5 Bake one sheet at a time 6 to 8 minutes or until just barely tinged brown at edges. Using a drinking straw, punch out holes on sides of trees as shown (ornaments) and hanging holes on top of cookies, if desired. Using a small spoon, fill cutouts, except hanging holes, with candy until level with top of dough. Brush off stray bits. Bake 4 minutes or until candy melts.
6 Cool on sheets on wire rack 7 to 10 minutes until “glass” cools and hardens. Transfer cookies with a broad metal spatula to wire rack to cool completely.
7 To display cookies, hang in a window or on a Christmas tree.
PER COOKIE: 137 cal, 1 g pro, 21 g car, 0 g fiber, 5 g fat (3 g sat fat), 22 mg chol, 77 mg sod
