Recipe

Step 1: Beat sugar with butter, on medium speed, until light and fluffy.

Step 2: Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated.

Step 3: Stir flour with baking powder and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture, in two additions, just until combined. Knead dough lightly until smooth.

Step 4: Divide dough into two equal portions and form into discs. Wrap discs in plastic wrap; chill for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll the dough out, on a lightly floured surface, 1/4″ thick. Use holiday cookie cutters to cut out cookies.

Step 6: Arrange cookies, at least 1″ apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets. Use smaller cutters or a paring knife to cut out shapes from the centres of the cookies (leave at least 1/4″ borders around interior shapes).

Step 7: Fill the cutouts with candy cane pieces. (Don’t overfill, small gaps will fill in when the candy canes melt.) If desired, poke a small hole at the top of each cookie, so cookies can be strung and hung as decorations. Re-roll scraps to make more cookies.

Step 8: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden around the edges and candy centres are evenly melted. Cool cookies completely on the baking sheet before lifting to allow centres to set. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Makes about 3 dozen cookies (using 3″ cutters).

Tip: Crush a variety of Allan Fruit Buddies to get different coloured centres, just be sure to keep flavours separate.