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Stained Glass Cookies


Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 18 cookies
Overhead photo of stained glass sugar cookies on a pink plate on a red napkin.

Stained Glass Cookies melt Jolly Rancher candies in the center of sugar cookies to create a colorful holiday treat that everyone will love! Dig out your favorite Christmas cookie cutters and prep this recipe in just 30 minutes plus chill time!

Ingredients  


Instructions

  • Using a stand mixer and paddle attachment cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and sea salt until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides as needed and continue to mix.
  • Add in beaten eggs and vanilla and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
  • Gradually add in 2½ cups of the flour and mix on medium-low until well combined.
  • Tightly wrap your dough ball in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. You can separate it into 2 balls if you prefer to work with smaller batches.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge.
  • Use some of the remaining flour to sprinkle on a clean countertop and turn the dough out onto it.
  • Sprinkle the dough ball with some of the remaining flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick. Use more of the extra flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.
  • Use a large cookie cutter to cut out “panes” of cookie dough and transfer them to the prepared cookie sheet.
  • Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut shapes in the middle of the panes and remove them. Add the dough that was cut out of the center back to the scrap dough that you will roll out for more cookies or use them for smaller mini cookies.
  • Place crushed hard candies in the cut-out of the cookie dough panes. You want to fill it nearly full with the hard candy crumbs and be sure it is in an even layer, not mounded in the center.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just begin to brown and the candies are completely melted.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.

Notes

  • How Should I Store These Stained Glass Window Cookies? Place the cookies in an airtight container, separating the layers with wax paper. Then store the container at room temperature for up to 1 to 2 weeks. Make sure the place you store them is relatively dry or the glass will get sticky!
  • What’s The Best Way To Crush The Jolly Rancher Candies? I’d recommend tossing them into a food processor. Doing so will give you a more uniform crushed candy and will melt together better in the oven. However, if you don’t have a food processor it’s not a problem to crush them by hand! To do so just place the unwrapped hard candy into a Ziploc bag. Then just pound them with a rolling pin or a rubber mallet.
  • What Should I Do If The Cookie Dough Is Too Soft To Work With? No worries, just roll the cookie dough out onto parchment paper and then place it in the refrigerator. Chill the dough for up to 1 hour. This easy step should make it easy to cut out and transfer the cookies.
  • How Can I Get The Best Window Definition In These Cookies? Try baking the cookies alone for about 5 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven and add the crushed candy to the center of the cookies. Afterward, place the sheet of cookies back into the oven to allow them to finish baking. Also, be sure that you spread the crushed candy out evenly within the cut-out.
  • What Do I Do With The Small Cut Out Cookie Dough? You could bake the cut-outs for smaller mini sugar cookies! Or you can just add them back to the dough ball to roll out more window cookies.
  • What Can I Do To Prevent The Dough From Sticking To The Rolling Pin? Simply just sprinkle some flour onto the rolling pin and dough ball. Do so as needed!

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/stained-glass-cookies/