I bake Christmas cookies every year, and my hubby wants me to bake some spritz cookies that his grandfather used to make. They're in the shape of a flower.

Here's the problem: He used something that looked like part of a red gumdrop to put in the center of each flower when he baked them. They were not round, but more of a square. My mother-in-law said she thought it was red hots, but my hubby says it wasn't.

Any ideas on what this mystery ingredient was?? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Could it be red candied glace cherry or citrus peel? Like the kind you get as a red/yellow/orange mixture at the grocery store for adding to fruitcakes, etc? That would be square and gummy-like too.

I have seen spritzes made w/ a red hot center. Could it have been s gumdrop snipped in 1/2? What was the flavor of the center, does he remember?

He says it didn't have any flavor, and that it wasn't a gumdrop. He thinks that it could very well have been a candied glace cherry, like you were talking about, antonia74. Thanks so much for both of your suggestions!