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Stained Glass Cookies

Stained Glass Cookies
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Stained glass cookies are beautiful, crisp sugar cookies with colorful, translucent candy centers that mimic the look of stained glass windows. Perfect for any holiday or special occasion, these cookies are fun to make, customizable in flavors and colors, and a delightful treat for friends and family.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free option)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Candy Centers

  • Hard candy (such as Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers), crushed into small pieces

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dough: Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients to form a soft dough.
  2. Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour to firm up. This makes rolling and cutting easier and helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
  3. Roll Out and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes, then use smaller cutters or a knife tip to carve out window shapes in the center of each cookie, which will be filled with crushed candy.
  4. Add the Candy “Glass”: Finely crush the hard candies and fill each cut-out window with the candy pieces. Avoid overfilling to prevent candy overflow while baking.
  5. Bake and Cool: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown lightly and the candy centers have melted into a glossy, translucent finish. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack so the candy centers harden.

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smoother dough.
  • Crush candy finely for even melting and smooth candy centers.
  • Roll dough to about ¼ inch thickness for crisp cookies and optimal light transmission through candy.
  • Keep different candy colors separate during baking to avoid flavor or color bleeding.
  • Allow cookies to cool completely before handling to prevent candy cracks.

Nutrition

Keywords: stained glass cookies, sugar cookies, holiday cookies, colorful cookies, hard candy cookies, gluten-free cookies, festive desserts

Find it online: https://mealsbymary.com/stained-glass-cookies/