1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1/2 c. sour cream
3 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking soda

In large bowl, beat butter, shortening, and the 1 1/2 cups sugar until creamy; beat in sour cream, vanilla, and egg. In another bowl, stir together flour, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until next day.

Divide dough into quarters. Work with one portion at a time; keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll. Roll out on a floured board to thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out with a 4-inch round cookie cutter and transfer to greased baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate sheets.

When cookies are cold, cut out centers with a smaller cutter. Refrigerate scraps to re-roll with remaining dough. Bake cookies in a 375 degree oven for 6 to 7 minutes or just until firm. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; transfer to flat surface and let cool completely.

Cut 1/4 inch ribbon into 8-inch lengths. Loop a piece of ribbon through center of each cooled cookie; tie securely at top. Arrange cookies, right side up on greased baking sheets.

Red or green food coloring
1 c. light corn syrup
2 c. sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. flavoring (peppermint, pineapple)
1/2 c. water

For candy centers, place 2 (1 cup) glass measuring cups in a 375 degree oven to preheat. Combine the 2 cups sugar, corn syrup and water in a 2-quart pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Then cool without stirring until syrup reaches 280 degrees (hard crack stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; stir in your choice of food color and flavoring.

Remove 1 measuring cup from oven; fill with half the syrup (keep remaining syrup over low heat). As soon as syrup in cup stops bubbling, hold cup with a potholder and pour syrup in a thin stream to fill cookie centers. Repeat, using second cup and remaining syrup. Let cookie cool completely; twist gently to loosen, then slide off sheets.