Janelle wrote to tell me how her sister makes gingerbread house windows (far easier than my make your own hard candy thing). Thanks Janelle!

I wanted to tell you how my sister makes gingerbread house windows. She buys hard candy, (Jolly Ranchers work great!) and melts it in tiny foil molds in the oven at low heat. The basic plan is:

Make little foil “window frames” – frames like when you collar a pie – in the shape of and slightly larger than your gingerbread house’s windows. Put the foil frames on a cookie sheet and place one candy the color of your choice inside each frame. Bake at a low setting just until the candy melts and fills in the frame, then remove and cool. When cool, peel off the foil and pry the window carefully off the cookie sheet. Voila! Colored glass windows! (Afix from the inside with frosting)

I feel silly but what is collaring a pie?