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1
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl.
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2
Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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3
Add egg; mix until smooth, 1 minute.
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4
Reduce speed to low.
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5
Add flour mixture, and mix until combined.
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6
Stir in vanilla.
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7
Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.
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8
Preheat oven to 325F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
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9
Roll out chilled dough on a well-floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick.
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10
Cut out shapes using a 5-inch tree-shape cookie cutter.
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11
Using a metal spatula, transfer shapes to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart.
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12
Using the tip of a paring knife, make a triangular cutout in center of each cookie for candy filling.
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13
Reroll scraps, and cut.
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14
Sprinkle candy in a single layer in hole of each cookie, avoiding edges of triangle.
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15
Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
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16
Bake cookies until candy has melted and completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes.
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17
Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centers may become bubbly.
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18
Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
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19
Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment.
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20
Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.
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21
Use a paring knife to cut out a triangular center from each tree; fill each triangle with a single layer of chopped candies.
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22
Keep the pieces a slight distance from the edge of the triangle, as the heat of the oven will melt the candy, and it will spread.
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23
Midway through baking, quickly open the oven door and check for any little holes in the glass; use a toothpick to fill them in.
