Description
These Stained Glass Cookies are delightful buttery sugar cookies with vibrant, melted candy centers that create a beautiful, translucent effect. Perfect for festive occasions or as a charming treat, they combine a crisp texture with colorful, glossy windows made from crushed hard candies.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
Topping
- 2/3 cup coarse sparkling sugar
- 1/2 cup crushed hard candies (Jolly Ranchers or Lifesavers work great)
Instructions
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate them into the mixture.
- Add Vanilla, Salt, and Flour: Mix in vanilla extract and salt, then slowly add the flour, mixing until the dough is thoroughly combined.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Remove the dough from the bowl, place it on a large piece of plastic wrap, and shape it into a disc. Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Divide the dough in half. Return one half to the refrigerator. Roll the other half on a flat surface into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Use a 4 inch star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many stars as possible.
- Create Windows: Place the star cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a 2 inch star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out smaller stars from the center of each cookie, creating a window.
- Re-roll and Repeat: Re-roll the leftover dough scraps, repeat the cutting process until the baking sheet is full.
- Press Sparkling Sugar: Gently press coarse sparkling sugar into the tops of the cookies to add texture and sparkle.
- Chill Cookies: Place the baking sheet of cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes, helping them keep their shape during baking.
- Fill Cookie Windows: Remove cookies from the refrigerator. Fill each star window about 2/3 full with crushed candy. Use a toothpick to help nudge candy into all the crevices of the star shape.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until they are light golden brown and the candy centers have melted completely.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet to allow the candy to harden and set.
- Repeat with Remaining Dough: Take the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and repeat the process to make more cookies.
- Store: Store the cooled cookies covered in a single layer for up to 2 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Separate hard candies by color before crushing to create visually appealing candy centers.
- Crush candies coarsely using a meat mallet or rolling pin to avoid candy melting unevenly or burning.
- Fill cookie centers only about 2/3 full to prevent candy from overflowing during baking.
- Use a toothpick to carefully fill candy into small points and crevices of the star-shaped windows for even coverage.
- Chilling the dough after cutting helps cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
