It’s a tradition that’s as sweet as it is time-consuming: your children dumping their haul of trick-or-treat candy onto the living room floor, and then sorting it into piles of keepers and total losers.

A few items are perpetual pleasers — candy corn, for example is No. 1 in six states, according to bulk candy seller CandyStore, though it’s just as easy to find people who absolutely detest the humble, tri-colored candy. Manufacturers produce more than 35 million pounds — some 9 billion pieces — of the candy a year.

One man’s treat is another man’s poison, of course. So what qualifies as the best or worst Halloween candy is subjective.

When it comes to the hated goodies in your own household, you can toss them in the trash, give them away or unload them onto your unsuspecting co-workers.

Or you could transform them into something new.

So how about using Dum-Dum lollipops as a colorful stained-glass filling in sugar cookies? Martha Stewart’s cookie recipe is no-fail, but any cut-out sugar cookie recipe would work, as would any type of hard candy, the more colors the better.

We also suggest adding Snickers bars to Rice Krispies treats for an easy upgrade. It’s so easy to sneak a chopped-up candy bar into the gooey snacks. I used miniature Snickers bars, but you could easily substitute any type of fun-sized candy bar your child finds (and rejects) from his Trick-or-Treat bag.

Snickers Rice Krispies Treats
Adapted from ricekrispies.com

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 10-ounce package mini marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 8 snack-sized Snickers bars, chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup honey roasted peanuts, finely chopped, divided
• 1-1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add Rice Krispies, chopped Snickers bars and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, and stir well to combine.

Using buttered spatula or wax paper (I used the bottom of a greased measuring cup), evenly press mixture into 13-by-9-by-2 inch pan coated with cooking spray.

Melt together chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave on 50 percent power, stirring every 30 seconds, until completely smooth. Pour chocolate/peanut butter mixture over Rice Krispies treats and spread into an even layer with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chopped peanuts.

Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best served the same day. Makes 24 squares.

Stained Glass Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Marthastewart.com

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Very finely crushed hard candy (1 cup)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 3 minutes. Add yolks and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture. Form dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, refrigerate 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Working with 1 disk at a time, roll dough between floured parchment to 1/8-inch thickness. Stack dough on parchment on baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.

Cut dough into 2 -1/2-inch rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-covered cookie sheets. Use a 1-inch star cutter to cut out centers.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway, until cookies are just set. Remove sheets from oven; fill cutouts with crushed candy. Bake again until brown at edges and candy is melted, 3 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.