Colorful Stained Glass Cookies
Delightful cookies featuring a beautiful, transparent center made from melted hard candies, perfect for any celebration.
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- electric mixer
- Cookie cutters
- Baking sheets
- parchment paper
- wire rack
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup crushed hard candies (such as Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers)
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter mixture and mix well.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until just combined. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the chilled dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut out shapes with cookie cutters, making sure to cut a smaller shape in the center.
- Fill the center of each cookie with crushed hard candies, being careful not to overfill.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the candy is melted.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
These cookies are visually striking and can be customized for any occasion. Experiment with different candy colors and shapes.