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Stained Glass Cookies

Magical Stained Glass Cookies are a perfect mix of buttery sweet cookie and colorful edible candy stained glass. Serve as a cookie or make into an ornament.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 24 cookies (estimate; will depend on cookie cutter size used)
Calories 198kcal
Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend; additional flour will be used to roll out the dough
  • 24 Clear Hard Candies in desired colors

Glaze

  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • few drops of milk

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed.
  • Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and continue blending until thoroughly combined.
  • Slowly add the flour, mixing just until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX.
  • Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
  • While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat (preferred) or parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out onto a floured surface about a half of an inch thick.
  • Cut Into desired shapes, being sure to cut out hollow areas to place candy.
  • Place shapes onto the prepared baking sheet.
  • Unwrap the hard candies and place into separate plastic bags by color (don't mix the colors in one bag).
    Cover the bag with a kitchen towel and break into small pieces using a rolling pin or other heavy tool. DO NOT crush the candies into a powder.
  • Place the candy pieces in the hollowed out areas of the cookies.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set and the candy centers are melted.
  • Allow to cool on the baking sheet until the candy 'glass' has completely cooled.
  • OPTIONAL: Glazing the cookies. Combine the powdered sugar and just enough milk to allow the glaze to be drizzled. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and allow to set.

Notes

Pro Tips

Break the hard candy into small pieces not dust. Don't pulverize the candy as this can cause it to overcook and become grainy. Break into small pieces only.
Use Jolly Ranchers for the hard candy. You'll be pleased with the color and how well they work.
Keep the dough cold. If you feel it will take some time to roll out the dough and cut the shapes, only remove part of the dough from the refrigerator at a time (one third to one half).
Line the baking sheet. To ensure easy removal of the cookies from the baking sheet with no sticking, line the pan. Do not bake on an unlined pan.
A silicone baking mat works best with parchment paper a close second.
Do not over bake the cookies. They should not reach the golden brown stage or they are overcooked. When the dough is set and no longer shiny they are done. Do not wait for the edges to turn color.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet completely before moving them.
To make them into ornaments:
Use a toothpick to poke a small hole in the top of the cookie before baking. After they cool use an ornament hanger or string to making a hanging loop.

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg