Description
Stained Glass Window Cookies are a festive and colorful treat featuring buttery sugar cookies with centers filled with melted crushed hard candies, creating a beautiful translucent ‘stained glass’ effect. Perfect for holidays or special occasions, these cookies offer a delightful combination of crisp edges and sweet, flavorful candy centers.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Candy Center
- 8–10 Jolly Ranchers or other hard candies, crushed
Instructions
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add baking powder and salt.
- Incorporate the Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour while mixing on low speed until the dough just comes together.
- Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic cling wrap, and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight to firm.
- Preheat the Oven: Set the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and line two half-sheet baking pans with silicone baking mats.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use a 3 or 4-inch cookie cutter to cut out cookie shapes and a smaller 1 or 1.5-inch cutter to cut out the centers of each cookie.
- Arrange Cookies on Baking Sheet: Transfer the cut cookies onto the lined baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart. Re-roll scraps to cut more cookies if necessary.
- Add Crushed Candy: Fill the centers of the cookies with crushed hard candies, filling about ¾ full to prevent overflow during baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the candy centers have melted completely.
- Cool the Cookies: Allow the cookies to set on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to let the candy harden slightly, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Crushing the Hard Candies: Place candies in a plastic ziplock bag and crush with a hammer, meat tenderizer, or mallet. A mini blender can also be used similarly to crushing coffee beans.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature layered with parchment paper for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for 1-2 weeks. Candy centers may get sticky over time due to humidity.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before use and bring to room temperature.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Not recommended as candy centers may crack. If desired, freeze in airtight containers with parchment paper layers for up to 3 months.
- Variations: Use other cookie bases like cut-out shortbread, gingerbread cookies, or incorporate for gingerbread houses for creative stained glass effects.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
