Stained Glass Heart Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup red hard candies, crushed
prepared frosting (optional)

In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. In medium bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Gradually stir flour mixture into sugar mixture, stirring until dough is very stiff. Cover and chill in refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375F.

In lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8" thickness. To prevent cookies from becoming tough and brittle, try not to incorporate a lot of surface flour. Using a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart pattern. Transfer cookies to foil-lined baking sheet.

Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out and remove heart design from center of each cookie. (If cookie cutters are not available, cut out shapes using a small knife.) Fill the cut out sections with crushed candy.

Bake cookies 7 - 9 minutes, or until lightly browned and candy has melted. Do not overcook. When done, slide foil off baking sheet. Carefully loosen cookies from foil when cooled. If desired, pipe decorative borders with frosting around edges.

Makes 30 cookies
Source: The Sugar Association, Inc.