Gift Failure

Last night I tried to make a Martha Stewart cookie recipe to hand out as gifts for my co-workers. True to Martha Stewart (I think) one, very very important step, was left out. Here's what I tried to make:

No. 1: Stained Glass (above, top left)
These gift tag-inspired cookies make great gifts themselves. After punching out the letter and hole for the tie (use a straw to create the hole), prebake them for 6 to 8 minutes, until they look a little dry on top. Then sprinkle crushed hard candy generously in the window of the letter. (We tried a bunch of different kinds, and jolly ranchers won out with bright, smooth colors that distributed evenly.) Return cookies to the oven and watch like a hawk: The candy should melt and pool in the window, but not burn, usually in about 3 minutes.

Prep and and photo from the Martha Stewart website.

A photo of my disastrous results to come.

Oh, and the step that was left out, is to bake your cookies on wax or parchment paper...not directly on the pan.