1. Beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl halfway through. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined, about 30 seconds; scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.

2. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead gently to form a smooth ball. Divide in half, then flatten each piece into a 6" disc and wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

3. Center a rack in oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Unwrap one disc of dough and transfer to a lightly floured counter, then roll to a 1/4" thickness. Use larger cookie cutters to cut out shapes, then transfer to prepared baking sheet. (Scraps can be re-rolled up to two times; if dough becomes sticky, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling.) Refrigerate shapes until firm, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, unwrap candies and sort by color. Working with one color at a time, transfer to a resealable freezer bag and set on a kitchen cloth on counter. Use a rolling pin or heavy skillet to finely crush candies (pieces should be no larger than breadcrumbs); set aside.

5. Use smaller cookie cutters to remove centers from shapes (reserve cut-out dough for another use) and transfer baking sheet to oven; bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully fill centers three-quarters of the way with crushed candy. (Avoid getting candy pieces on surface of cookies and do not overfill, which will cause candy to bubble over as it melts. It's okay if you can see a bit of parchment underneath; centers will fill as cookies bake.)

6. Return to oven, rotating baking sheet from original position, and bake until edges just begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on pan, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and candy.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, December 2020