Making the candy centers for these elegant stained glass cookies can be lots of fun if you do it from scratch. This recipe will show you how to. A quicker way, however, is to fill the centers with crushed candies. Make sure that you don’t overfill them. Ingredients for the cookies are:
Cream sugar, butter, and shortening until fluffy. Then mix in egg yolk, vanilla extract, and baking powder.
Shape dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F., and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Then use large cookie cutters (about 2½-inches in diameter) to cut out cookies.
Carefully transfer cut-out dough to prepared cookie sheet, then use a small cutter to cut a circle (or any shape of your choice) out of the center of each cookie.
Bake stained glass cookies for 10 - 15 minutes, or until they are light golden. Let them cool completely on the cookie sheet.
Half-fill a bowl with ice and add some water to cover. Securely place a small dish on the ice.
Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer and bring it to a boil, without stirring, over high heat.
When the mixture reaches 305 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the saucepan from heat and pour the syrup mixture into the small dish on ice. If you plan on having many different colors, divide the syrup mixture into different dishes.
Add a drop of food coloring and your choice of flavorings. Gently stir the syrup mixture to eliminate bubbles. Carefully spoon it into the centered cutouts, then set aside to cool and harden.
When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F., and line cookie sheets with 
