Description
Stained Glass Cookies are delightful buttery sugar cookies with colorful, melted hard candy centers that create a beautiful translucent effect. Perfect for holidays and special occasions, these cookies combine a classic vanilla sugar cookie with crushed candy windows for a fun and festive treat.
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
Decorative Sugar and Candy
- 2/3 cup coarse sparkling sugar
- 1/2 cup crushed hard candies (Jolly Ranchers or Lifesavers)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt, then slowly mix in the flour until thoroughly combined.
- Chill the dough: Remove the dough from the bowl. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a disc. Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before baking.
- 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. Re-wrap one half and refrigerate. Roll the other half into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Using a 4 inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Use a 2 inch star cookie cutter to cut out centers in the shapes.
- Prepare cookies for baking: Gently press coarse sparkling sugar into the tops of the cookies. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Add crushed candy centers: Remove cookies from the refrigerator. Fill each window 2/3 full with crushed candy, using a toothpick to nudge the candy into crevices.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown and the candy has melted. Cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough: Use the second half of dough and repeat the cutting, decorating, and baking process.
- Store the cookies: Store cookies covered in a single layer for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Separate hard candies by color and crush them into coarse pieces using a meat mallet or rolling pin; avoid powder or large chunks to prevent over caramelizing or uneven melting.
- Fill candy centers only about 2/3 full to avoid overflow during baking; use a toothpick for precise placement.
- Chilling the dough and cookies before baking helps maintain shape and prevents excessive spreading.
- Use parchment paper or a nonstick mat for easy cookie removal and cleanup.
- Store in a single layer to prevent sticking or breaking.
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 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
